How to Find Peace
by nickdaman6
Summary: Sometimes peace is difficult to accomplish. There are trials and tribulations all along the way; but once you find peace, you will be glad to have met them.
1. Chapter 1

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thanks!**

* * *

 _ **How to Find Peace**_

 **Chapter 1: Upon the Battlements**

A bitter wind blew through the field, bringing with it the promise of an equally bitter winter. The field, though green now, with changing trees dotting it, would soon be covered in a layer of multi-colored leaves, followed be a thicker layer of snow. Now, however, the green that highlighted the norther portion of the border separating Nohr and the smaller port country of Nestra was dimmed by the dark red of numerous corpses that were strewn across the field. Most of the bodies wore the darkened plate armor common to those serving in the Nohrian army, and far fewer were donned in layered armor that was as equally common among Hoshidan troops. Indeed, both sides suffered casualties in this war that would see many more before it would see its end. And what even was this war about? A deep hatred that ran through the very genetics of both countries? A grudge that neither could let go of? No one for sure knew, the only answer being it was the way things were; Nohrians despised Hoshidans, and vice versa. So it was no surprise when a war finally broke out between the two kingdoms.

And what of the peasants, the civilians, those who did not fight in these wars? What was their opinion on such a pettiness? Of course, if any nobleman or woman asked them if they hated the opposing kingdom, they would answer with a simple, "Of course, milord/lady." But that was when they were asked by the people who fanned the flames of this rivalry between kingdoms the most. What of when they were working the fields, or their stands at the market? When they drank their sorrows away? What then? Did they share that same gung-ho, nationalistic mentality that was expected of them 'just because'? Or would their answers change? It was a difficult question for sure, with no clear answer as everyone's opinion differed. But everyone who fought, fought because they were bred to hate Nohrians, or Hoshidans, or whoever it might be. Those who fought did not question either, so they were stuck fighting a war that could possibly end in their deaths. All for the glory of victory…

Those were the men and women that lay on the field now, dying or having died long before the end of the battle. Cries could be heard from those who were on the verge of breathing their last as they were tended to by the servants of the now-captured fortress that loomed over the battlefield, sent out by the occupying Hoshidans to tend to the Nohrians while they tended to their own. In this case, that was quite a courtesy to give to one's enemy, yet it was just who Corrin was. His Nohrian upbringing wouldn't allow him to just rule his once-countrymen with an iron fist, yet his Hoshidan blood wouldn't allow him to show total amnesty to his now-enemy. So, a compromise: let the border gates' servants care for their dead, while the Hoshidans tended to the dying. Hoshidan casualties were sent back to Cyrkensia to begin the long rehabilitation process or the journey home; Nohrian causalities were tended to and then held prisoner at the Nohrian border gate.

A fair compromise, or as fair as could be in war, Corrin believed. His brother, Ryoma, agreed. His sisters, Hinoka and Sakura, shared the same view. Yet it was his other brother, Takumi, who scoffed at the show of mercy. Of course it was due to the Hoshidan's distrust of Nohrians, but also the fact that he still had issues agreeing with his newly-rediscovered brother on many subjects. This being one of them.

These thoughts drew a sigh from Corrin as he stood from the massive, cobblestoned border gate walls overlooking the battlefield. His eyes turned to the sky, anywhere but examining the field of the dead and dying for a few moments. Numerous clouds stretched from the Nohrian portion of the border into the Nestra side, covering the sky in an all-to-familiar dull grey that reminded Corrin of his days being held inside the Northern Fortress. An unbidden smile rose to his face that was all too quickly wiped away as he thought back on memories of the past. Gunter. Flora. One a knight who raised him from birth and would never see again, and the other one of his personal maids – no, a friend who cared for him that was now most likely his enemy. This war had taken so much from him before it had even began, so why was he still so willing to fight against Nohr and not try again for peace? He knew why. Corrin closed his eyes for a few moments and took a deep breath before turning away from his painful past and back to the equally painful present.

Neither side wished for peace.

This thought crossed his mind as he watched his younger sister, Sakura, walk from soldier to soldier, examining wounds and healing them when she could. It warmed Corrin's heart to see how caring his sister was. No matter who they fought for, Sakura would try to help a wounded soldier as best she could. However, at other times she would come across a dying man or woman whose injuries were just too severe. It was then she would openly cry and turn to her retainers for the emotional support she needed. She would clutch onto her best friend Hana in a desperate hug. In return, Hana would hold Sakura for as long as she needed, tears streaming down both of the young women's faces.

Sakura's other retainer and Hana's husband, Subaki, would simply rest a hand on Sakura's shoulder and give Hana a solemn look with his usually smiling face. Then, he would set his naginata on the ground and kneel down beside the dying man or woman and give them a proper prayer to send them off, adding to his already impressive repertoire of skills. The bangs of his long red hair would cover his solemn eyes from Corrin's view, adding even more to the mixing air of reverence and loss. Once finished completing what would usually be Sakura's job, Subaki would then grab his weapon, stand, and guide both women to the next breathing casualty. It was a daunting task, one that Corrin did not believe Sakura was ready for, yet she handled it as best as she could, denying herself a break until she was either finished visiting those who needed her help… or collapsed.

Corrin sighed. Indeed, his sister was a strong woman, one he gladly claimed as such. He just hoped she would still be her optimistic, if sheepish, self once this war was over.

He shook his head, the white locks of his hair and his cape shaking from the combination of body movement and wind. No time for such thoughts now. Again, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Then another.

And still, another.

Until his abnormally elongated ears twitched in response to the familiar sound of armored boots on stone. He turned his red-eyed gaze to see who had come to check up on him this time. Last time it had been Ryoma, and Felicia before that. So he expected the newcomer to either be his recently rekindled childhood friend Silas, or Hinoka. Yet, Corrin was surprised to see that it was their army's most recent crimson-armored recruit: Scarlet.

Corrin opened and closed his mouth, meaning to greet her. Yet he did not utter a word and instead nodded at the blonde, short-haired woman. She nodded in turn. Corrin then returned to examining the battlefield as Scarlet came to his side, joining him. A few moments of silence passed as the two warriors stoically looked over the healers and servants tending to the wounded and the dead.

It was then that Scarlet sighed. "Not the talkative type, then?" she questioned in her (oddly-comforting) Nohrian accent. The only other friendly people to have a similar accent in the Hoshidan army were Jakob, Felicia, and Silas; it was always refreshing to meet another person with the same, familiar accent.

Corrin smirked. "Usually, I am. I've been told I am very inquisitive… especially when discussing battlefield tactics. But, right now…?" His smirk disappeared as the young Nohrian-turned-Hoshidan prince bowed his head in silence.

"That is understandable," Scarlet toned in quietly as she followed suit. Again, silence ruled between the two as they stared at their feet.

"So, who sent you?" Corrin asked, finally facing his newest companion with a soft smile, which Scarlet matched with a grin of her own.

"Ryoma, of course. After all, he's really the only one I'd take an order from," she replied, and added in quickly, "well, besides you."

"I'm glad to hear it. You really look up to my brother, don't you?" Corrin commented, keeping the pace of the conversation going in a lighthearted direction.

Scarlet nodded her head once. "Who wouldn't? He's amazing! Even with having a whole country to run, he still sneaks into an enemy kingdom to help a budding rebellion. MY budding rebellion! It takes quite a man to be able to do that, don't you think?" Corrin simply nodded in response before Scarlet finished. "Just wish he would have let me known sooner who he actually was instead of joining us in disguise."

Corrin chuckled. "True, but I'm sure he had his reasons. Though he can be brash, he thinks things through carefully. It's funny, he's actually just like my brother, Xan-" Here, Corrin stopped himself before he continued, a dour look now replacing his smirk. It obviously sullied the mood of the conversation, like rain on a sunny day. Scarlet's grin was wiped away from her face as well.

"You mean Crown Prince Xander?" Scarlet intoned.

"Yes, him."

"It must be hard, fighting against your former countrymen – people you thought were your family no less," Scarlet remarked. Before Corrin asked what she would know about such a thing, she continued. "I've been doing it myself for a while now. My father, my mother, my former brothers-in-arms… I've been having to knock some sense into them, forcing them to see the unfairness of Garon's rule." She sighed. "…But even going through all of that, I still know that you and Ryoma fight for a just cause. Everyone should be free to do as they please, not living scared wondering if what they're doing will go against some lame crown's wishes. And our kingdoms should be at peace, not at each other's throats constantly. It's for both those reasons that I – that _we_ fight."

At this point, Corrin turned back to Scarlet to see her still facing him, a smile back on her face.

"So I'll keep following you and Ryoma, and fighting for a peace that will rule over both of our kingdoms," Scarlet gave Corrin a wink. "So please, wipe that sad look off your face. We're going to kick some butt!"

Corrin, who was staring blankly at Scarlet, finally blinked his eyes for a moment before joining in smiling with the crimson-armored wyvern rider. "Thanks, Scarlet. Glad you're here to help us."

"Anytime," she responded, punching Corrin's shoulder lightly.

He responded with a nod before saying, "Too bad we couldn't just have a peaceful path to peace, as redundant as that sounds. It would just be so much easier on the people, and us."

Scarlet brought her finger to her chin, thinking on what Corrin had said for a moment before responding, "Don't you think that's a little naïve? After all, peace can only taste best if it's worked towards."

"True," Corrin responded slowly, taking a little offense to Scarlet's comment. "But that doesn't mean that that work has to be war. It could be something else, something… collaborative, or…"

"War?" Scarlet finished with a smirk, wiping away the remainder of Corrin's smile. "We fight for what we believe in, and at that moment it is peace. Other countries fight for greed, religion, or some other dumb reason. But I fight for equality and peace, and those reasons are two of the few that are worth fighting for."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean it's true peace. It's just the victor's idea of peace, which might not fit in with the loser's," Corrin countered, and Scarlet's smile likewise disappeared. Both furrowed their eyebrows, staring the other down and not backing away from the forming argument at hand.

"Peace is peace, Corrin, no matter what. As long as the fighting has stopped and no war is waged, who cares what the victor's terms are? If peace rules over the land and fighting has stopped, I will gladly fight for that and whatever else is tagged along with it!" Scarlet responded aggressively as she took a step forward towards Corrin. He replied in kind, bringing the two closer together.

"Then what of the losing kingdom and their people, huh? What will happen to them if their way of life is threatened by the 'peaceful' victor? They know no other way to live, and wouldn't be able to find another way so easily. So the best way to obtain peace is through talking, negotiating, and coming up with terms that benefit everyone, not just the victor of a war," Corrin rejoindered with an escalating voice. "I thought you of all people having been raised in Nohr would agree with me. Don't you want your countrymen to be able to live as prosperously as Hoshidans?"

Scarlet let out an annoyed noise as her pale, freckled cheeks started blushing with frustration. "Of course I do! But most of them either want me dead or are blindly following that tyrant Garon! So, if we must achieve peace forcefully – which _will_ happen – then some sacrifices will have to be made! You're so innocent and naïve; in trying to find a way for both Nohr and Hoshido to get what they want at the end of this war, you're blinding yourself to the damned truth! And not fighting with our all, hoping for a peaceful resolution will only lead to our defeat."

"But isn't it worth trying for at least!? I know it isn't possible now, but in the future? If say Xander, or even King Garon saw that waging this war is pointless, wouldn't you wish to try talking before fighting!?"

"Not if it's only gonna lead to more fighting! As long as it ends in peace… You know what? No," Scarlet backed off, stepping away from the argument she was having with Corrin and heading away from the battlements to the rest of the border gate. "I see that nothing will get through your ignorant, thick, _princeling_ skull. So I'm just gonna leave it at that and go find Ryoma, see what else he needs me to do. Goodbye, Prince Corrin." Scarlet made a short, forced bow before leaving Corrin along again on top of the battlements.

Corrin let out a breath that he hadn't known he had been holding. He sighed, turning again towards the battlefield and looking onwards before commenting to himself, "What an infuriating woman. And what got into me? No one's ever been able to bring me into an argument like that so quickly. But Scarlet… Argh…" The young prince ruffled his hair in confusion and agitation. "What's with her?"

He turned to leave the battlements, figuring a nice round of training would be just what he needed to cool himself down. As he started walking down the stairs, he shook his head and repeated, "What an infuriating woman…"

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Thanks for reading through the first chapter, y'all. Really means a lot, especially when I'm starting a new fic, like this.**

 **Now, many of you may be wondering why I'm starting a new fic. Well, that's because I feel like I've lost my original style of writing, and I want to return to my inspiration for writing these fics in the first place. If y'all have read my first fic,** _ **True Bonds Never Break**_ **, then you'll see what I mean. I want this fic to be a way for me to get back into writing fun, light-hearted stories, something that people will pull up, have a nice hot drink, and read through. If any part of this fic brings a smile to your face, or makes you laugh, then it and I have done our jobs.**

 **Also, this is the part where I want to state where I got this idea from. After reading** _ **Be Careful What You Say**_ **on this website (a Robin/Olivia Fire Emblem fic, if you haven't read it, check it out) again, I figured that going back and writing a much lighter story would be a great idea. It will give me a break from my other fics, allow me to generate ideas, and let me have fun writing something I truly wish to write – three chapters are already done, and the fourth is being written. So, if you're reading this, thank you for the inspiration MrWatch.**

 **As for my other fics, I'm sorry to say that most, if not all, of them will be put on hold. Yes, that includes** _ **More than One Hero can Mend**_ **. I'm sorry, y'all, but the inspiration and want isn't there right now. I've been wanting to write something like this for a while to help me get back into all of this and put my heart into writing, once again. I don't want to give any promises here, so I'll just say it now: I don't know when I will be returning to my other fics. Again, I'm sorry, but I hope this fic satisfies y'all in the meantime.**

 **Finally, I'd like to take a moment and address my beta, TheRepeat. He's helped me a lot with editing these first few chapters, and hopefully will stay along for the journey. It's thanks to him that these chapters are nice and clean. He's a great editor, and has definitely given me some great advice to help write this fic. And if you haven't yet, go check out his fic** _ **Dissonance**_ **. It's a really good, short and sweet fic set after Fire Emblem: Awakening. Definitely worth reading, in my opinion.**

 **Wow, that was a lot...**

 **Again, thank you all for reading this fic so far. This isn't the most notable Fates pairing, but I feel Corrin and Scarlet do have a story there that should be written. Plus, I'm no stranger to cheering on or writing for the underdog pairings, ain't that right Ilia/Link fans!**

 **So, leave a review if you can and let me know what you guys think about this fic. Hearing from my readers is what keeps me going on fics like these, and also gives me an idea of what people think of it. It helps me to become a better writer and write better stories for y'all.**

 **Hope you enjoyed the story,**

 **nickdaman6**


	2. Chapter 2

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thanks!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Working Off Some Steam**

"…and done!"

A blunt, iron blade hit a wooden tree for what Corrin thought must have been near the thousandth time. It very well might have been, considering how much sword practice he had been getting in, using a lone tree near the edge of the forest surrounding the border gate and recent battlefield. He had just finished another set of practice stances that he had been taught by his brother, Xander. They were meant to build strength and work stress out of the body, focusing on performing the hardest strikes possible with one's dominant hand.

While it would behoove Corrin to find a sparring partner and practice his combat sets in this time of war, at this moment he needed nothing more than to blow off steam. From the way the poor tree looked, its first layer of bark completely torn away by the repeated blows, the sets seemed to be having the desired effect. The same could be said by how the young prince panted as sweat formed on his forehead, strands of white hair sticking to his moist skin. Taking a break, he let the wind cool him off as he walked over to another tree where he had shed his cape and most of his armor. Sitting against the trunk of the tree, he closed his eyes.

 _Haven't worked out like that in a while. Probably shouldn't be wasting my strength like that, but…_ Corrin frowned as a familiar blonde woman in crimson armor with freckled cheeks stared at him with her brown eyes. _That woman…_

Scarlet and Corrin's earlier argument still vexed him. He had thought he'd worked off all of his frustration, but the thought of Scarlet brought it all back... Again, he could not for the life of him figure out why he was feeling so agitated by a woman he had barely just met. Sure she had a differing opinion, and sure she was almost as stubborn as Corrin could be, but he still didn't see how such an argument would light a fire inside of him like that. He hadn't even had an argument like that with Felicia or Jakob, who he had known almost his entire life. Petty arguments over decorum and the like, of course, but never anything like what he had just had with Scarlet. Over peace, nonetheless! They were arguing over _peace_! Who the hell argues over that? No one in their right mind. Peace – and equality, Corrin added as a side note – should be something everyone strives for, and in the least violent way possible. Otherwise it would seem hypocritical at best, forced ideals on others at worst.

And Scarlet seemed to think that peace was peace, no matter how it was achieved. 'Over the lives of thousands? As long as its peace.' 'Over the lives of innocent civilians? No problem.' 'Over the lives of children? Well sure! Peace does come at a price, you know. Sometimes it's steep.'

At this Corrin's eyes flew open, his red irises seeming to become alight as if truly on fire, those words serving as its fuel. He grabbed his sword and immediately went for that unfortunate tree.

With immense strength, he once again began to assail his target. Strikes flew out at the tree in rapid succession, deepening the gashes that had already taken off most of its bark. He twirled his sword around in his hands, spinning himself gracefully around the tree in the process, taking his attack to the practice dummy's rear. He followed up with a precise horizontal slash that took out a clean chunk of the tree. But he did not even give this another glance as he continued his attack head on, bringing out his raw strength while simultaneously performing his combat sets. Without him even noticing, Corrin began to transition from set to set seamlessly, striking the tree with perfect ease.

The young prince flew sword-first into the tree, just striking its side as he soared past it. From there, he performed a roll and landed on his feet to transition into yet another roll towards the tree. Quickly, as if catching the imaginary enemy off-guard, he exploded from his roll and struck the tree with a precise downward strike. A quick side step from an imaginary weapon coming down on him and he was at the tree's side, but not before delivering a glancing blow where an enemy's rib cage would be. Then he threw himself at his practice dummy with reckless abandon, attacking the tree with all of his might, not caring about the mental notes he made each time he left himself exposed to an attack– a training technique that Xander and Gunter had beaten into him ever since he had taken up the sword. Finally, Corrin jumped back away from the tree, breathing even more heavily than he had been before. With a mighty war cry, he charged the tree, hands clenching around his sword. Using all of his might, Corrin swung his sword one final time at the tree in a devastating horizontal arc that would easily bisect any enemy.

For a moment, everything in the forest was still. Then, the sound of wood breaking reached Corrin's ears. He turned to see that the tree was falling away from him – chopped down by a _brittle practice sword_. It crashed into the earth with a powerful thud, causing a slight tremor, something Corrin swore he could feel.

It was at that moment that he heard a sharp whistle from behind him. Turning towards the sound, Corrin noticed the familiar silver hair of Silas. The knight looked on with a smile, his silver eyes wide in surprise. "Wow, haven't seen any training like that before. Well, not from you anyway," the young Nohrian knight commented with a smirk. "You were like an artist there for a minute, then just a full-on animal. Rough day?"

"You could say that," Corrin said, smiling. His entire demeanor changed at the sight of his childhood friend. "Saw the whole thing?"

"Well, from the moment you charged at that poor defenseless tree." Silas glanced around Corrin towards the now-fallen tree. "What did it do to deserve that? You run into a branch and think the tree hit you in the head on purpose?"

"No," Corrin replied with a chuckle as he approached his equipment, throwing the now-useless practice sword aside for the time being.

"Birds in it singing too loud?"

"Nope."

"That's good, you'd be a heartless dastard if that was the case," Silas responded with a laugh. "Hm… Oh, I see, you were trying to get the honey from that beehive there."

"No, I wasn't… Wait, beehive?" Corrin turned towards the tree in the middle of clasping his cape onto his armor. It was at that moment that the young prince and his friend noticed a moving cloud of angry bees, seemingly looking in every direction to see what caused their rude awakening. Once they noticed Corrin, the buzzing emitting from them increased in volume.

"By the Dusk Dragon… Silas," Corrin said as he picked up the rest of his armor and took a step back.

"Yeah," his friend joined him, a nervous smile now on his face.

"We should run," Corrin turned and sprinted away from the approaching mass of angered bees.

"Yeah!" Silas yelled as he joined Corrin.

Without missing a beat, and as if they were in some sort of comedy, the bees began chasing after the two.

The pair zipped through the trees, trying to evade the bees as the menacing bugs drew closer. A few of the faster bees were right on their tail, just out of stinging range.

"Why are they chasing me!? I didn't even do anything!" Silas shouted in between breaths.

"Well, guess it's just one of the perks of being my friend, huh?" Corrin said, flashing Silas a smile.

"Yeah, lucky me!"

"So what do we do? I'm too tired to go on for much longer!" Even then, Corrin could feel his lungs on fire as he willed himself to keep running, lest he be on the receiving end of hundreds, if not thousands of the angry bees' stingers.

"Don't worry, we should be getting to the tree line soon, and… There!"

Silas pointed towards a spot where the trees ended and grasslands began. Corrin could barely make out a horse being silhouetted by the unimpeded sunlight. It looked to be grazing peacefully, unaware of the massive storm of bees trailing behind Corrin and Silas.

"Hey! Avon!" Silas called, ending with a piercing whistle using his fingers to get the horse's attention. From what both men could see, the horse had raised its head and was now looking their direction. It reared on its hind legs and let out an acknowledging whinny. As soon as Corrin and Silas broke through the trees, the two immediately saddled Avon; Silas in front and Corrin in the back, holding onto his friend for dear life. "Let's get out of here! Hyah!" Without another moment's hesitation, the horse bolted off, both at its master's command as well as the familiar sound of buzzing bees coming somewhere from behind it. It sprinted across the plains making a beeline towards the border gate.

The journey was quick; they avoided the battlefield in front of the border gate and went through one of its smaller side entrances that were usually used for supplies or other such instances. Upon reaching the entrance, both men hopped off of Avon.

Silas leaned against the cobblestoned wall of the border gate while Corrin fell onto his rear as soon as his feet touched the ground. Both panted as their hearts raced. They both knew they had just escaped certain death… Or at least a few hundred painful stings and an interesting story to tell the healers. Upon realizing this, Corrin and Silas looked at each and began laughing uncontrollably.

Avon simply grazed while its master and his friend got it all out of their system. The laughter lasted for a few moments before both men started calming down. They wiped away tears of mirth and relief that had formed at the corners of their eyes.

"That was… that was too close, Silas," Corrin said in between his last bouts of laughter.

"You said it. Didn't come this far to be stung to death by vengeful bees though. Which was your fault, by the way," Silas replied, smirking.

"Yeah, well… Fair enough," Corrin responded lamely, too tired to think of a wittier retort. He gave one more chuckle. "At least we have another memory made to catch up on old times, huh?"

"Too true. But let's have the next one _not_ put our lives at risk, deal?"

"Deal."

A pleased grin came to Corrin's face, which quickly faltered as another thought struck him. He looked down at the ground, his white bangs covering his eyes from view. "Isn't it strange that I'd forget how close we used to be? I mean, you became a castle knight just so our paths would cross again… While I, on the other hand, forgot you existed at all." Corrin grabbed a handful of grass, frustration coursing through his veins.

"This again?" Silas rubbed the back of his head, laughing humorlessly to try and dispel the sudden cloud hanging over his friend's head. "Really, though… I wish you wouldn't worry about it. You remember now, and that's all that matters to me. Besides, it worked out didn't it? I became a knight, and here we are. I'm grateful for the chance to make up for lost time."

Steel armored boots appeared in Corrin's vision. Corrin looked up, noticing Silas offering him a hand. With a nod, the prince took the knight's hand, and stood, seemingly solidifying a tight bond that was just waiting to be formed anew.

"Grateful, huh?" Both men still held onto the other's hands, seemingly locked in place. "That's a good way of looking at it. Thanks, Silas." Corrin's bright smile returned as Silas' usual optimistic nature infected the young prince.

"There's the cheer I remember." Silas released Corrin's hand as he went to tend to Avon, causing Corrin to follow his gait. As he started taking out an apple for the horse who had carried both men to safety, the knight added in, "Oh, hey! Why don't we go take a little trip together sometime?" Silas snapped his fingers as the idea, and the wish his childhood friend made long ago, came to mind.

Corrin brought his hand to his chin, thinking on the idea for a moment. "Hmm. It sounds fun, but where should we go?" Corrin questioned, ever the careful planner. After all, in times of war like this, the pair couldn't be spending months on the beach, wilting away in the sun and wasting gold on souvenirs like a pair of spoiled princesses. They would be lucky if they could even travel a mile without having a search party sent after them.

"Someplace you always wanted to see," Silas chimed, which stumped Corrin. What could he have possibly wanted to see so many years ago?

 _Well, anywhere else but the Northern Fortress_ , Corrin guessed internally.

"When we were young, you had a long list of places you wished you could go. We couldn't go to any of them at the time, but nothing's stopping us now! Whaddya say?" The knight looked at Corrin with eager eyes and his trademark optimistic smile. He reminded Corrin of a child asking his father for gold to spend on candy.

Corrin couldn't say no to that face.

"Well, it sounds nice… You know what? I'm in!"

"Alright, can't wait!"

"But!" Corrin stopped Silas' cheering, though he couldn't help feeling as giddy as his friend. "We need to find some time to do this. After all, we can't just take off in the middle of a war saying we're going on a trip."

"That's true… Well, maybe we'll get lucky and Nohr will see the error of its ways, and surrender," Silas said cheerfully. He finished treating Avon to another apple and did a quick comb of the horse's coat. The knight began leading his trusty steed toward the stables out front. "Nevertheless, I'm sure we'll have a chance sometime. During or after the war, right?"

"Definitely. See you around, Silas. It was great talking with you." Corrin waved at his friend, as he began moving towards the side entrance on his aching legs.

"And running for our lives," Silas responded with a chuckle and a wave. As Corrin approached the side entrance he heard Silas call one last thing to him: "By the way, while _you_ were out hunting for honey, all the _adults_ were working. Ryoma asked me to find you, and for both of us to join him in the border gate's strategy room. Okay?"

Corrin responded. "I didn't want any honey, just needed to work off some steam. I'll tell you about it later. Meet you there!"

"Got it! See ya there!" Silas replied as his horse was now tugging _him_ along, wanting to be properly fed and groomed at the stables. "Ow, okay, boy. I'm coming, I'm coming…!"

Corrin looked on and chuckled to himself, before stepping through the cobblestone threshold. "Silas is a good guy," the young prince commented. He raised a hand to his head, a worried look appearing on his face as he cringed. "So… how did I forget all about him? He told me not to worry about it, but there's got to be a reason…" With that, Corrin ventured into the border gate, hoping to find someone who would help him locate the strategy room and mumbling all the way about his 'damned amnesia'.

* * *

"First, before we begin, I would like to personally thank and congratulate all of you. Taking over an entrance to Nohr was no easy task."

Ryoma had begun the strategy meeting on a high note, wanting to remind everyone there of their accomplishments. Looking around the small, secluded strategy room, Corrin noticed that only his siblings, Silas, Kaze, and Scarlet were present. Upon entering the meeting, the young prince greeted everyone with a friendly smile. That is, until his gaze came to the familiar wyvern rider he spoke with earlier. Corrin's smile disappeared as he gave Scarlet a curt nod; she responded in turn by crossing her arms across her chest and returning her gaze to the map on the central table. Corrin knew that he wouldn't receive anything more from her, so he took his spot in between Silas and Kaze, opposite Ryoma.

"Secondly, I would like to take a brief moment of silence for those we lost today… It's the least we can do for them." Everyone in the room, catching Ryoma's tone, joined him in bowing their heads in reverence to the dead. For a few moments, they all stayed silent, quieting their minds or reciting a prayer for the recently deceased. All of them knew what happened in war, and this battle was no different: people fought, people died. They had to move on.

Once Ryoma was satisfied, he raised his head and softly said, "Thank you."

As if on signal, everyone else raised their heads.

"Now, onto the matter at hand," Ryoma began, his commanding tone returning. "We have claimed the border gate here." He pointed to an area along the border of Nohr and Nestra on the map. "Like I said earlier, this is a great stepping stone to continue our march towards Windmire. However, messengers slipped through our grasp before the previous battle, warning King Garon and his army of our imminent victory. As soon as the fighting ended, I sent out soldiers to scout ahead, see what lies in wait for us. What they reported was… discouraging."

Ryoma's finger moved from its position on the map to a pass between two mountain ranges. Half a dozen small, black wooden cubes cluttered the narrow pass, blocking it off almost entirely. "The Nohrian army has massed at this pass here, the only reachable way to the castle. Unfortunately, they number in the upper thousands."

A wave of disgruntled murmurs spread through the strategy room.

"Are they sure of this, brother?" Takumi asked, his eyes furrowed in what could either be worry or aggression. "After all we only have a couple thousand soldiers. If we engaged them in battle, it would be a difficult fight."

"Thinking clearly for once there, Takumi?" Hinoka jabbed, earning a small bout of laughter from everyone else.

"Funny, sister," Takumi responded, letting a small smirk betray his biting tone.

Kaze spoke up, "The question still stands. If I may ask, milord… How do we plan on proceeding?" His blue eyes stared intently at the map. "From what I've read of the scouting reports, I don't see any way we can get around Nohr's forces undetected."

Corrin sighed, his hand rubbing his brow in frustration. "There really is no other way, is there…?"

Ryoma closed his eyes. "That's not entirely true." All eyes immediately turned on him.

"Really? Let's hear it then! It doesn't look like we have any other options." Corrin's excitement was mirrored by the nods and sounds of agreement by everyone else in the room.

A sigh escaped Ryoma's lips as he opened his eyes and faced Corrin. He began slowly: "Technically speaking, it is possible to traverse further into Nohr via Mount Garou… However, Mount Garou is more commonly known as the Impassable Peak."

"How can you even suggest such a thing, Lord Ryoma?" Kaze's voice garnered everyone's attention as he looked at the Hoshidan prince in shock. "Especially now, of all times. We'd fare better against ten thousand Nohrians soldiers out in the open!"

"I am aware of the downside… and so is Nohr," Ryoma admitted with a sigh, running his hand through his long, brown hair. "And as you said, especially now. Winter will soon come to Nohr, making Mount Garou even more difficult to cross than it already is, yet… If we time it right…"

Ryoma's sentence hung in the air, allowing an uneasy silence to fill the room.

"…and if we time it wrong, we'll be sitting ducks for the Nohrians to easily pick off," Hinoka finished. "Seems risky."

"But if we don't end this war soon…" Takumi chimed in.

"Then our efforts will be wasted," Corrin finished, closing his eyes in thought. "By now, most of the northern regions of Nohr are most likely covered in snow. That means winter will probably be here sooner than we think, catching us off-guard and trapping us on a mountain for an entire season. Kaze, is that our only path?"

"From what scouting reports have said, yes milord. No enemy troops have been seen blocking the area, giving us easy access. But surely this must be intentional."

"They're leading us into a trap. Classic Nohrian tactic: why fight an army when that army can fight itself?" Silas commented matter-of-factly.

"Of course," Corrin muttered. He weighed the options in his mind, trying to figure out a way to gain access to inner Nohr territory with minimal, or no casualties. Not an easy task, especially when factoring in Mount Garou. If they timed it wrong, moved out too late, then the entire army would be trapped and most likely freeze to death on top of the Impassable Peak. That was too much of a risk. "I think we need to wait. Let winter pass, and allow most of the snow to melt off Mount Garou. Otherwise it could be the end for us."

"What!? Do you not know Nohrian weather? That could take until the middle of spring!" Scarlet countered. Her outburst had received the wide-eyed attention of everyone in the room, and a glare from a certain white-haired prince. "I'm sorry, Lord Ryoma." Scarlet bowed to the Hoshidan prince, who waved her off and allowed her to continue. "If we don't go now, we may lose our chance to catch Nohr with its guard down. They may know where we are, but if we traverse Mount Garou now, we'd catch them off-guard! By spring, that opportunity will have up and gone. We should go now, risk traversing Mount Garou, and hope for the best."

"And what if that doesn't happen?" Corrin retorted, as his voice rose in volume and he slammed his hands on the wooden table. "What about the worst-case scenario: us, stuck up there on a freezing mountain for months on end? Our army would be dead, and so would all of Hoshido's nobility, leaving our homeland with no one to protect it and no one to rule it. It's a gamble that's not worth taking. Besides, by now the Nohrian army blocking our path will be bedding down for winter. We'd best use this opportunity to do the same, conserve our strength and prepare for the next year."

"No, we need to-"

"That's enough!" Ryoma's voice boomed, almost shaking the room's cobblestone walls. Everyone fell silent. "Corrin, you are right. We may need to halt our advance for now and resume the campaign in spring. That would be best for our army. And Scarlet, you are equally right: we will lose our ability to surprise our enemy if we wait. For now I propose we send two scouting teams out: one to examine the Nohrian army and their behaviors, and the other to determine Mount Garou's climate. Once we have figured out these unknowns, then we will come to a decision. Understood?"

"Yes, Lord Ryoma," Scarlet muttered begrudgingly.

"Alright, brother. I trust in your judgement," Corrin responded, his eyes narrowing on Scarlet.

"Good. Kaze?" Ryoma turned to the man in question.

"Yes, milord?"

"Get a team together and have them ready to scout out the mountain tomorrow. Then find your brother, Saizo, and tell him to do the same for the Nohrian army. Report back as soon as you are able, and do not risk the lives of you or your men. Understood?"

"Yes, milord. I will begin immediately."

Before he could leave, Sakura's voice piped up for the first time during the meeting. "P-please be careful, Kaze," she stuttered quietly, a light blush rising to her cheeks.

The ninja smiled softly. "For you, milady? Anything."

With that, Kaze seemingly vanished into thin air, leaving the room behind.

Silas let out a low whistle. "Wish I could do something ninja-y like that."

"Now that that's settled, we can move on…"

Everyone in the room turned to Ryoma as he began listing each of their respective duties. During this, Corrin and Scarlet stared each other down with heated glares, blocking out most of what Ryoma said. They had just had one argument today, now they had another. Something was off between the two, and neither could figure out what it was. All they knew was that they could not stand the other. Yet while neither of them broke eye contact, two of the room's occupants took notice of the changing attitude between the pair…

* * *

 **A/N:**

" **Corrin and Silas attained support level C!"**

 **Well, had to begin the interaction between them in this fic! Also, isn't this supposed to be a Corrin/Scarlet fic? So, why do they keep fighting? Be patient, my friends, and keep on reading, you will see.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading through this chapter y'all! If you made it this far… Well, there's still a long way to go. So prepare yourself, for we haven't even entered the meat of this fic yet. But don't worry, the proper plot is on its way!**

 **I would like to thank everyone who read the first chapter and support the fic in anyway, whether it be by review, favorite, or follow. Any and all of it helps! It means a lot to me when I see something I've written get attention from readers. I intend to deliver the story y'all want, so keep on reading and I'll keep on writing!**

 **I also want to thank TheRepeat for helping me deliver another awesome chapter. Thanks man, your betaing and advice helps me greatly!**

 **And please, leave a review if you can, or follow and favorite as well. Anything helps. Seeing an e-mail pop up saying "so-and-so has favorited/followed/reviewed** _ **How to Find Peace**_ **" really makes my day! Your comments also help me become a better writer and drives me forward. Looking forward to hearing from y'all!**

 **Hope you enjoyed the story,**

 **nickdaman6**


	3. Chapter 3

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thanks!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Conversation, Cards, and a Bit of Wine**

The door to the border gate's strategy room flew open, swinging into the cobblestoned wall with a bang. Storming out of the room looking like a volcano ready to explode was the Hoshidan army's most recent recruit, Scarlet. Her every step was exaggerated as she stomped away from the recently-adjourned meeting. She flared her nostrils as she took quick breaths in and out. In the simplest of words, Scarlet was frustrated, but she was far more than that, she just could not think of anything to describe it at the moment. And it was all thanks to that Nohrian-turned-Hoshidan prince, Corrin. As if the argument they had had atop the battlements earlier that day wasn't enough, they came to blows once again in the strategy room. In front of Ryoma, no less!

Letting her emotions get the better of her in front of the crown prince of Hoshido was embarrassing to say the least. Especially considering how much she looked up to the man. She knew better than that, but somehow Corrin's presence allowed Scarlet's emotions to take control. Of course, she didn't know what it was that caused Corrin to bring such a reaction out of her. It perplexed her as much as it infuriated her. What she did know was that she could not be in the same room as Corrin for more than a minute without some sort of argument happening. Even when he first entered the room, he was staring her down just waiting for the moment the bickering would begin. From now on, she would avoid him at all costs and when she couldn't she would simply try her best to not look in his direction.

But were things ever truly that simple? From Scarlet's life experience, she knew they seldom were…

"Hey, Scarlet! Wait up!"

Scarlet was brought out of her frustrated reverie by a familiar voice calling her name. She turned around to see Hinoka jogging after her, still dressed in her pegasus-riding gear long after the battle had ended.

"Oh, Princess Hinoka. Can I help you, or…?" Scarlet left the question hanging, waiting for Hinoka to fill in the gap. Mentally, Scarlet was scratching her brain, trying to figure out why Hinoka stopped her. After all, this was one out of only a handful of times the princess had spoken to her, and the first time they had talked outside of battle or a strategy meeting.

"I wanted to talk to you, Scarlet. If you don't mind, would it be alright if I walked with you?" Hinoka drew even with the wyvern rider, flashing her a smile.

"Um…S-sure," Scarlet stuttered as she began thinking about what the princess could possibly want. They turned down a hall, with no destination in mind and, in Scarlet's case, no idea where any of this was going. "So what did you want to talk about?"

"Well, I just wanted to know what's up with you and my brother," Hinoka asked bluntly. "I mean, you were staring at him several times during the meeting."

Scarlet's face immediately went red in embarrassment. She didn't think the quick peeks she was sneaking at Hinoka's brother were obvious at all. No one seemed to be looking in Scarlet's general direction when her eyes shifted over to him. A nervous, cold sweat started forming on the back of Scarlet's neck. "I-I don't know what you're talking about, Princess Hinoka. I only looked Lord Ryoma's way whenever he spoke. That's all! Nothing odd about that…" Scarlet said with an uneasy laugh, trying to play innocent and failing miserably.

"Ryoma? What are you talking about?" Hinoka asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Um… that depends, might I ask what _you_ are talking about?" Scarlet questioned, now more confused than before as to what Hinoka was asking.

"I was talking about Corrin, Scarlet. You two were staring each other down in there like two pegasi fighting over a nesting peak. What's this about Ryoma?"

"N-nothing! It was nothing, I swear…" Scarlet rubbed the back of her head and let out another nervous laugh.

"I'm sure," Hinoka replied skeptically and with a smirk. "But aside from that, I wanted to know what's going on between you and Corrin. Even before your argument back there, you two were staring each other down. Something happen?"

Scarlet coughed and regained her composure before answering. "It was nothing, Princess Hinoka. We just… had a prior disagreement, that's all." The wyvern rider chose her words carefully; insulting Corrin would likely not earn her any favors with Hinoka.

"Disagreement? That's weird, he usually listens to people first before arguing with them. What did you guys disagree about?" Hinoka asked, a questioning look written on her face.

"Well, oddly enough, it was peace," Scarlet admitted, figuring that discussing this topic wouldn't be such a bad idea. "He had different views on how it should be achieved." Scarlet imitated Corrin, "'A peaceful way to peace', as he said." Hinoka snort-giggled at Scarlet's poor impression.

"That sounds like him," she replied. "He is a little naïve about peace and equality, but you can't blame him entirely for that."

This piqued Scarlet's interest. The small amount of frustration that had been building up in her was disappearing. "Oh? Why's that?"

"Well, if he hasn't told you, then it's best if someone does. He was held captive by the Nohrian Royal Family most of his life, who led him to believe he was Nohrian. But you probably know this already."

Scarlet nodded her head in affirmation, having already heard the story of the 'Turncoat Prince', as some Nohrians had begun calling Corrin.

The two women stopped before Hinoka continued her story. "However, what you probably don't know is that he was kept in the Northern Fortress the entire time he was held captive by Garon. He was denied access to the outside world, living what Corrin calls a 'sheltered life'. Corrin gives the Nohrians too much credit; what they did was hold him prisoner in a decorated cell, that's all." The tone of Hinoka's voice was becoming more aggressive. Her short, red hair covered her eyes from view and she clenched her fists tightly. Scarlet could tell this was a rough subject for the princess.

Hinoka raised her head up, and both women resumed walking. "Corrin may say it wasn't that bad of a childhood, but we know different. He didn't see any of the outside world until about a year ago. Ever. He grew up a sheltered tool to be used by Garon whenever he saw fit, the dastard." Hinoka sighed, pausing to collect herself. "So Corrin's views on peace, equality, war, and the like, they may by skewed, but his heart's in the right place. He just wants everyone to be able to do whatever they dream of doing, to not be held back by some cage – real or otherwise – like he was."

Upon finishing her story, Scarlet could only stare at Hinoka. The wyvern rider hadn't known any of that about Corrin, and it definitely explained why he was so ignorant about the way the world worked. However, even though most of her anger from earlier had disappeared, a small flame still remained in her heart when she thought of Corrin.

 _But why does it feel like it's still there?_ Scarlet wondered in confusion. She internally sighed. For the moment, all Scarlet could do was attribute it to her remaining frustration towards the prince.

"I just wanted you to realize what he went through before pegging him as some spoiled brat prince, like some do. He didn't exactly have the best childhood," Hinoka let a soft smile rise to her face. "But Corrin's back with us now, and even if his head is up in the clouds a bit, there's nothing better than finally being reunited with him after so long."

Scarlet smiled in turn. "I'm sure. Thank you for telling me this, Hinoka. I feel like I understand Corrin a little better now."

"Anytime!"

"But he still can be a little thick-headed, from what I've seen," Scarlet commented with a chuckle.

"Well you need to be able to deal with Takumi someway," the warrior-princess retorted, laughing a little as well.

"Now I feel like there's a pattern here. Anything I should know about Sakura or Ryoma?" The pace of the conversation had changed course to a more casual tone, something that neither Scarlet nor Hinoka seemed to mind.

Hinoka laughed in response. "Sakura? No, she's as sweet as can be; don't need to read anymore into that. And Ryoma is a great leader, but he can be a total softy around us and Azura. So don't let his commanding exterior fool you."

"I'll make sure to keep that in mind," Scarlet said, smiling.

The pair came to a branch in the cobblestoned hallways. Hinoka started walking down the right path, seemingly knowing where they were. Scarlet, on the other hand, was lost.

"Well, I should go check on my retainers and the rest of the sky knights, make sure they aren't being lazy. It was fun talking to you, Scarlet. I'd really like to get together and talk about wyvern riders next time. After all, I need to know their weaknesses when I meet up with that bitch pretending to be Corrin's sister." Hinoka punched her fist into her other hand, while wearing a determined grin on her face.

"I'd like that," Scarlet commented "as long as you share what it's like to fly on a pegasus."

"Deal," Hinoka confirmed before, turning down the hallway. "Then I'll see you around." She waved goodbye.

"Until then, Princess Hinoka." Scarlet smiled and waved as the Hoshidan princess left her behind.

The wyvern rider turned towards the opposite hallway. Shrugging, Scarlet said, "Might as well see where this leads." With that, she began aimlessly walking down the hallway, whistling a Nohrian folk song as she did so.

* * *

"Well, 's no sake, but this Nohrian wine will do just fine!"

The samurai, Hinata, slammed a glass bottle of Nohrian port on the table with a satisfied sigh. His cheeks were flushed red, thanks to the half-bottle of wine he had been drinking. "Alright, deal me in, Silas! I think I have this game down now."

In one of the back rooms of the border gate, Hinata, Subaki, Silas, and Corrin were enjoying drinks and a Nohrian card game. Corrin had been dragged there by Silas after the strategy meeting. The knight thought the prince could use a little break. After all, constantly working during a war wasn't good for anyone's health.

Silas chuckled nervously. "You sure, Hinata? After all, you've already lost your shirt. What are you going to bet next? Your pants?" The knight took a sip from his own bottle of wine, having 'liberated' some of the border gate's commander's personal stash earlier.

"If that's what it takes!" Hinata stood up and reached for his belt. "I swear, one round will be mine!"

Everyone covered their eyes, looking away. As Hinata tugged at his pants, Subaki, quickly grabbed his shoulder, urging the samurai back into his seat.

"By the Dawn Dragon, don't. Here, I have enough to buy you in a round. Just… don't take off any more clothing." Subaki threw in enough coins to cover both his and Hinata's ante.

The sky knight's pile grew ever bigger with each passing round. He had never even played before, but after only a couple rounds, he completely understood the card game. He was even on par with Silas, who had introduced the Hoshidans to it only tonight.

"Well thanks, Subaki! Geez, you really are a swell guy, ain'tcha?" Hinata said as he put an arm around Subaki's shoulder.

"Anything to keep your clothes on, Hinata," Subaki replied with an uneasy smile while removing the samurai's arm.

"So that's two of them. Corrin, you in this round?" Silas turned to his friend, who was intently staring at his cards.

For a moment longer, Corrin looked at his cards, seeing he had two pair. That would be a no-brainer, usually, but the prince was quickly running out of coins. Even though he was Nohrian, he had never played poker before and was quickly losing the small amount of money he had saved up.

Sighing, Corrin threw in two gold coins. What else did he have to lose at this point?

He took a sip of his wine. "I'm in."

"Okay. Reminder, gentlemen: this is the last round," Silas chimed, adding in his own ante from his modest pile of coins. "Take what you get."

After everyone had placed their ante, Silas pointed towards Corrin, indicating it was his turn. The prince, feeling confident, threw in his last five coins, adding with a smirk, "All in."

"Confident, are we?" Silas chuckled, taking a swig of wine.

"Just wait and see," Corrin countered. "Subaki?"

The sky knight paused for a moment before throwing in ten coins. "I'll double that," he said, and took a sip of wine from his glass.

"Well, I've got nothing. Except my pants!" Hinata began to stand up, before Subaki stopped him again.

"No! Just stick with what I've given you, okay?" Subaki insisted as he once again forced Hinata back into his seat.

"Fine, fine! Then I… what's the word? Oh yeah, _check_!"

"Guess it's my turn. Hm…" Silas thought for a moment, looking between his coins and cards. "I'll change these two out." The knight pulled two cards from the top of the card deck in front of him, replacing two of the cards in his hand. "Then, I'll match your bet, Subaki. Haven't come this far just to chicken out now."

Subaki smirked. "You may have wanted to 'chicken out' while you still could."

"We'll see how confident you're feeling after this. Read 'em and weep!" Silas laid down his hand on the table, revealing his pair of kings. The knight smirked victoriously. "Well, let's see what you guys have."

"Too bad, Silas ol' buddy. I got this one!" Hinata swung his hand on the table dramatically, revealing…

An ace high.

He guffawed, a big smile stretched across his face. "I'll just be taking all of this!" Hinata made to grab all of the coins in the middle of the table.

"Wait just a minute, Hinata. You have an ace high, that beats almost nothing," Silas said, stopping the samurai from taking the pot.

"Ya serious? Dammit, thought I had something. I'll never understand this Nohrian game!" Hinata threw his hands up in defeat before grabbing his bottle and taking a swig. "But I sure as hell understand this wine!"

Everyone else around the table chuckled in agreement, each drinking their own beverage.

"Alright, Corrin. Let's see it," Silas said, pointing at the prince.

"Well, it's nothing too special, but…" Corrin laid his hand out, revealing his pair of queens and pair of twos. "Two pair beats a pair, I'm pretty sure."

Silas let out a disgruntled noise. "Beat by someone who's never played cards. I'm a disgrace to the Nohrian Knights." He chuckled. "Just another memory I suppose, though."

His childhood friend smiled. "That it is. Now, if I could just collect my winnings…"

"Not so fast, Prince Corrin." Subaki's words stopped Corrin in his tracks as everyone turned their attention to the perfectionistic sky knight. He laid out his hand, drawing a surprised murmur from everyone. "I believe that is a royal flush, is it not?"

Indeed it was, a ten, jack, queen, king, and ace, all the same suit lined up perfectly on the table in correct order. Only Subaki could have received such a hand his first time playing poker.

Silas' jaw dropped. "No way... I've been playing this game for a while now, and I've never seen a royal flush! And you get it on your first game? How does that happen!?"

"Well, when you're me, you have to be perfect at everything you do."

"I'm sure. Guess you won, Subaki. Take the pot," Silas said in defeat, as he collected the cards to put them away and Subaki stashed his winnings in his coin purse with a satisfied grin.

"Aw, again? He beats us at everything!" Hinata commented. "'S not fair."

"If it makes you feel any better, Hinata, Hana is usually able to put me in my place, loath as I am to admit it," Subaki confessed, returning to drinking his wine.

"Not in the slightest! Oboro does the same with me, loath as I am to admit it," Hinata mimicked as he too took up his bottle of wine. "Here's to you two lucky dastards!" He raised his bottle to Corrin and Silas. "Single as can be, and the world's your… oyster! That's it."

A round of "Hear, hear"'s followed as everyone took a drink.

"But I doubt Corrin will be for long, ain't that right buddy?" Hinata commented with a mischievous smirk.

The man in question choked on his drink, coughing several times as he tried to rid his lungs of wine. "W-what do you mean, Hinata?" Corrin stuttered.

"Oh come on, don't play dumb with us. After all, 's just us guys here. We all know you have a thing for Azura; we see you two talking all the time!"

"Well, I-I wouldn't say I have a 'thing'…"

"Prince Corrin, we've all seen how you look at her. As Hinata puts it, you indeed have a 'thing' for Azura." Subaki smiled warmly at Corrin. "And you shouldn't be ashamed of it, after all she is an amazing and beautiful woman. From what I've seen, she seems to think highly of you as well."

"You really think so?" Corrin asked hopefully, perking up at Subaki's words.

"Indeed I do."

"Huh…"

"Wait, wait, wait, I've never seen Azura and Corrin like that before," Silas interrupted. "Have I been missing out on something?"

"It seems you have. Looks like you need a lesson or two about courting, Silas," Subaki said, seeming like he was about ready to go into a lecture.

"Hey, this isn't about me right now!" Silas pointed at the prince seated to his right, returning everyone's attention back to his friend. "We're grilling Corrin, not me. What I want to know is what's going on between you and Scarlet, Corrin. After all, you had your eyes on each other almost the entire strategy meeting today."

Again, Corrin choked on his wine. After his coughing spell – and a round of chuckles from everyone else – the prince responded agitatedly, "There's nothing there, trust me. I can't stand her."

"Why is that? Looked like something was going on between you two."

"Just…" Corrin paused, selecting his words. "We had a disagreement earlier today and it got pretty heated. Long story short, I don't think we'll be friends anytime soon."

"Argument? Didn't you just meet her?" Silas said, baffled. _He's not usually the type to come to blows so quickly_ , he added in his mind.

"Yeah. I don't know what happened," Corrin admitted "but when we started arguing, it felt like there was a… a fire in me that wanted to lash out at her. One minute I was calm; the next, we were in each other's faces."

"A fire, huh?" Hinata commented, stroking his chin in thought. "Say, you thinking what I'm thinking, Subaki?"

"Possibly," the sky knight replied, equally thoughtful. "My relationship with Hana started out almost the same way. It almost seemed like we could not stand each other – or she could not stand me, at least. But then one day, we were competing with each other and I realized just how beautiful she was. Not much later, I proposed to her. It's odd; what started out as a rivalry ended in marriage. Funny how that works." Subaki smirked, reminiscing.

"Exact thing happened with me and Oboro," Hinata chimed, receiving everyone's attention. "Couldn't stand each other, rivalry over who's the better retainer, all of that. Then one day, I looked at her and realized I was in love." The samurai took a drink. "Amount of good that did me! Don't get me wrong, I still love Oboro, but I do miss my bachelor days." He sighed wistfully.

"Hold on, so what you're saying is that… I'm actually in love with Scarlet? That's crazy talk!" Corrin laughed, but everyone else just stared at him, as if saying 'Come on, Corrin'. The prince ceased his laughter. "W-what? You think I am? Of course not, that's ridiculous!"

"I don't know Corrin, if it happened with them, it could happen with you," Silas chimed.

"You too, Silas?"

"Hey, it's happened one hundred percent of the time. Who's to say it won't happen with you and Scarlet?"

"Come on! If you heard her views on peace, you'd want to argue with her too!"

"Probably not as much as you, Corrin," Silas jabbed.

Corrin paused for a moment, thinking on what everyone had said. Could that be what it was? Did they have something there? Or had Corrin had a little too much to drink? _After all, wine does make bad ideas sound good_ , he thought. He shook his head. "No! I love Azura, I'm sure of it. In fact, we're meeting up tomorrow. She said she wanted to tell me something important, so… I'll confess my feelings for her then!"

"Really? Well, I'm happy for you, Corrin!" Silas immediately changed his tune, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "Maybe we are wrong. Or maybe it's just the wine talking."

Hinata laughed. "Yeah, I'll admit I may have had just a bit too much. Muddles the brain, you know?" He turned his wine bottle upside down. Not a drop fell out, showing it was completely empty. "Yeah, that's got to be it. But good on ya, Corrin! We're rooting for you!"

"Th-thanks, Hinata," Corrin said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"No problem! Now, you," Hinata pointed at Silas, dropping his wine bottle at the same time. "We need to teach you a thing or two about the fairer sex!"

Silas was taken aback, afraid of where this was going. "W-wait, what? When'd this turn on me!"

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **So, wait… Corrin loves Azura? I marked this as a Corrin/Scarlet fic… right? Or did I mess that up?**

 **Hope this chapter was as fun a read for y'all as it was a write for me! I definitely can say I'm liking writing these more comical, lighthearted scenes than heavier stuff. It makes me feel a bit chipper, ya know?**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading through this chapter y'all! I promise you the big plot devices and movements are on their way soon. By soon, I mean next chapter. So definitely stay tuned for that.**

 **As always, I would like to thank my amazing beta, TheRepeat, for helping with this chapter. He's a tough beta, but man does he smooth out the rough edges of my first drafts.**

 **Finally, please leave a review if you can, a follow or favorite is nice as well. Always nice to see a fic of mine getting attention, no matter how much it might be! Your words push me to become a better writer and deliver a better story. So please don't hesitate to leave any sort of comment, critique, or what have you!**

 **Hope you enjoyed the story,**

 **nickdaman6**


	4. Chapter 4

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thanks!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: The Confession**

The sun was high in the cloudless sky. Rays of yellow sunlight streamed through the blue expanse unimpeded towards the earth below. Compared to the dreary day prior, this day – as Corrin would describe it – was perfect. The young prince sat on a boulder on the boundary of the forest and plains near the border gate. With closed eyes, he drank in the sights and sounds of nature. Birds tweeted merry songs and the wind blew a gentle tempo, ruffling a few wisps of Corrin's white hair.

Ever since Corrin had left the cold, desolate Northern Fortress, he had been enjoying the new experiences each day brought. Some people would think that simply sitting still in nature would get old quick. But not for Corrin; he would do this all day if he could. Yet, today he was meeting someone very dear to him. Someone that he would gladly give his free time to.

That person was Azura.

She had asked to speak to Corrin once the previous battle was over; evidently, with "something important" to say. A small blush rose to Corrin's cheeks. It was all he could think about. He felt like he knew what it would be, but it still made his mind wander.

The young prince knew what _he_ wished to say to the blue-haired songstress. Today, he would confess his love for her: a feeling that he had harbored since the day they met. It filled his stomach with butterflies, and caused a warm, giddy feeling to swell up inside his chest. Possibly, it was these feelings that caused Corrin to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature more than usual. If that was possible.

Corrin's smile grew as he looked forward to the conversation.

He blinked a few times before opening his eyes, the sun's rays making it difficult. Shielding his eyes with a hand, he sat up and took in his surroundings. Plains stretched as far as the eye could see from the border gate towards the mountains until the waving grass turned into sturdy trees. It was a wonder of nature how much variety there was in such a small area; civilization's influence touched the plains lightly, while the trees and animals still hid the forest's secrets. Even more of a wonder was how peaceful everything seemed. Any remnants of yesterday's battle seemed to have disappeared without a trace. All that remained was the dried blood stains of man and beast, and even those were hard to find. Both the vastness and brownness coloring of the plains hid these reminders.

Upon thinking of the battle, Corrin couldn't help but sigh. It was sad to think that such violence had to be waged to make people think straight. Peace should have been something for everyone to work towards. Yet, people still held on to their grudges like sailors lost at sea clinging to a piece of flotsam. Thinking about this made his head spin, and his thoughts came full circle again and again. However, it now also brought the visage of a certain wyvern rider to mind. Corrin shook his head, trying to rid himself of the image of Scarlet, as well as the conversations he had had with her and his friends. He needed to forget about all of this before that fire burned in his heart again. But he knew it was useless, as any thought of Scarlet lit a spark that would soon grow.

Just as fuel was about to be added to the fire, Corrin's ears twitched in response to the soft sounds of footsteps on grass. He turned towards the sound to find a familiar blue-haired songstress approaching him.

Azura's presence was like a calming wave washing over him. Instantly, the spark in his heart was snuffed out. Corrin watched in awe – as he did every time – as Azura walked gracefully towards him. She seemed to glide through the tall grass with ease. Her smile, though gentle, caused Corrin's heart to leap into his throat and the butterflies to return to his stomach. But what drew the young prince to the songstress the most was her eyes. They were like gleaming topaz that constantly shimmered in the light. In the simplest of words, Corrin would describe Azura as beautiful. But she was so much more than that.

"Hello, Corrin," Azura greeted softly, coming to the boulder he sat on. Corrin made no response, instead just staring at Azura. She waved a hand in front of Corrin's face. "Um… Corrin? Are you alright?"

The prince shook his head, snapping out of his reverie. His blank faced turned into a smile, and he rubbed the back of his head. "U-uh, yeah! Sorry about that, Azura…"

The songstress chuckled gently, a melodious sound that Corrin would never grow tired of. "Daydreaming again?"

"You could say that," Corrin admitted. Nervously, he gestured for Azura to sit next to him. "Join me?"

"Sure," she replied. She hopped up onto the rock and folded her legs beneath her, taking a seat very close to Corrin. Azura didn't notice it, but the prince's face turned a light shade of red.

The songstress let her eyes wander around her, taking in the scenery. While she was doing this, Corrin couldn't help but once again stare at Azura. He, too, took in every detail.

"It's beautiful here," Azura spoke softly. "I almost forgot we were in Nohrian territory. I don't remember the sun shining so brightly, or the trees colored so perfectly. It's like we're still in Hoshido. Don't you think, Corrin?" The songstress turned to face the prince.

He smiled. "That it is. But it reminds me how beautiful my – our – home can be," Corrin corrected himself.

Azura nodded. "Maybe there's still hope for Nohr yet."

"I know there is," Corrin declared.

This assurance brought a sense of comfort to both of them. They knew that they had to fight to end Garon's reign. They knew they had to fight to bring about peace. That was the aim of this war after all. However, neither knew for certain whether this war would sew shut old wounds, or open new ones. Only Corrin's belief and Azura's hope kept the pair going forward in their efforts to bring both Nohr and Hoshido together. It was also what made Corrin believe that they needed each other, and that they had to stay by each other's side.

Forever.

For a few moments a silence passed between them as they retreated into their own thoughts. Both Azura and Corrin had something to say to the other, and both were trying to find a way to breach their subject. A nervousness swept through their bodies, permeating the air around them; something they were almost completely oblivious to. They realized that they should just come out and say it. It was the easiest way to bring it up. So, drawing in deep breaths, they once again faced each other.

"I have something to tell you," both parties admitted at the same time.

"You first," they insisted in unison again.

"No, you," the pair told each other.

They both stopped speaking, breaking into a small fit of laughter. It took them a few moments to calm down. This time, Azura spoke by herself.

"Please, Corrin, I insist. You first."

"Are you sure?" Corrin asked, his nervousness swelling up inside of him again. The conversation he had had last night with his friends while playing poker came to mind. He knew it was now or never.

The songstress nodded eagerly, wishing to know what Corrin had to say.

"Okay. Um…" Corrin paused, taking in a deep breath before speaking. He let it out slowly, seeming calm on the outside but almost panicking on the inside. His heart rate quickened, and he finally let his feelings be known.

"I've been thinking… about our conversations about Nohr. Even after our talks, I haven't changed your mind about Nohr, have I?" Corrin began slowly.

Azura's face became neutral. "Well, not exactly…"

Corrin continued with a sigh; he'd expected this answer, but got his hopes up anyway. "I realized all of my good memories of Nohr are thanks to a handful of people. Without Jakob and Felicia and my brothers and sisters, I would have been miserable."

"So you do understand what I'm talking about. Nohr can be a cruel place!" Azura exclaimed, interrupting Corrin.

"Yes, but even you said it yourself." The prince turned to the scenery again, gesturing to it with a sweep of his hand. "This place, it shows that there may still be hope for Nohr. We shouldn't give up on it just yet. But not only that…"

Once again, Corrin took a deep breath and released it. This was the moment he was leading up to. "No matter what, there are good people in this world who want to help, Nohrians included." A small smile rose unbidden to Corrin's face as he thought about Felicia, Silas, and so many others. "There are people who will love you no matter what it may cost them. There are people – right here, right now – who want to stand beside you."

Azura turned to Corrin with a perplexed look on her face. "Corrin, what are you saying?"

This was it.

"I want to be that person for you," he admitted to Azura with equal parts determination and passion. "They could throw us in a dark pit, and we'd be fine as long as we're together. I know it." Corrin paused, giving Azura a moment to understand what he was saying before he added in, "I love you, Azura. I always have."

After Corrin finished, silence once again reigned over the two. The longer it lingered, the more nervous Corrin felt. He didn't know why she wasn't saying anything, or why she didn't immediately respond in kind. After all, Subaki and Hinata had said it was obvious how Azura and Corrin felt about each other…

…Right?

"Corrin, I…" Azura paused, leaving the sentence hanging. Corrin's hopes rose, thinking he knew what the songstress' next words would be. After a few more seconds, she finished. "I'm sorry…" The songstress looked away from the prince.

Corrin's face fell. He watched Azura with a look of pain and confusion.

"S-sorry…?" the prince finally managed to say.

Azura breathed through her nose, and out her mouth. She willed herself to face Corrin. "Yes. I'm sorry that… I cannot tell you the same."

Upon hearing those words, Corrin's heart shattered into several little pieces. Reality began to break apart around him. Corrin's body went numb; his head began spinning. With this crushing truth, everything seemed to stop for a moment. Azura, the woman he loved, the woman he could never stop loving, had said she did not love him back. Corrin made to speak, but couldn't find any words.

Azura took this as her turn to continue. "I love someone else… What I wanted to tell you was that I'm… engaged." The songstress held out her left hand. A shining silver ring, with a sapphire inlaid in its center gleamed in the sun's light upon her finger, serving as proof that she was indeed betrothed. "He proposed to me before the battle began, believing that he had waited too long to do so. I… couldn't say no. Because I felt the same way about him. I truly am sorry, Corrin…" Once she had finished speaking, Azura turned away from the prince, unable to face him any longer.

Corrin looked on, staring past Azura into the distance. It wasn't until moments later that he realized Azura had finished speaking.

He finally came back to his senses. Feeling returned to Corrin, and it didn't feel good. The numbness was gone, and a pain began to spread in its place. This pain pulsed in time with Corrin's heart, bringing more life back to him with each passing beat. Instead of feeling grief, or understanding, or love, Corrin felt anger.

His brow furrowed as his mouth set into a grimace. He narrowed his eyes at Azura, who still looked away from him.

"I understand," he spoke bitterly. Corrin jumped from the rock and began storming towards the forest behind him.

This finally returned Azura's attention to him. "Corrin, wait!"

"Don't, Azura," he responded. He glanced over his shoulder. "I just need some time alone. I… I hope he makes you happy, whoever he is. See you later."

With no destination in mind, Corrin began his trek into the forest towards the mountains. All Azura could do was look at her friend's slowly disappearing form.

A single tear trailed down her cheek. She had hoped that her best friend would be happy for her engagement. Instead, however, Corrin had wanted to voice his feelings for her at the same time. When Azura denied she felt the same, a shared pain lanced between her body and his.

Silently, she sat upon the boulder bordering the forest and plains. She asked herself, _How could I do this to Corrin? Please, Corrin, please forgive me. I didn't know…_

* * *

At the border gate, two animals flew through the sky towards the courtyard. Their forms were silhouetted by the sun as they came into view. One's wings were spread wide, as it held its head high. It seemed to almost gallop in place as its feathered appendages carried it through the air. Beside it was the form of what appeared to be a lizard with wings. Its long reptilian neck and tail gave it away, while its wings allowed it to match speed with its equestrian counterpart. Eventually, the two landed on solid ground; one whinnied as it came to a halt, while the other landed roughly on its hind legs. Both had riders, who dismounted their respective mounts.

The one astride the pegasus wore no helmet and was instantly recognizable due to her short, red hair. The warrior-princess Hinoka petted her mount gently, praising it for a marvelous flight. "Thank you, Gatsuchi. You've earned yourself some treats." Gatsuchi whinnied happily in reply.

Hinoka looked to her companion, who was tending to her own mount. "So, did you get an appreciation for a pegasus in flight?"

The other rider – who was tending to her wyvern – removed her winged crimson helmet characteristic of wyvern riders. Scarlet smiled, nodding in affirmation. "I did, Princess Hinoka. It was amazing to see how mobile they are in the sky. Though I'm willing to bet that's thanks to the rider as much as it is to the pegasus."

Hinoka laughed, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Well, I would be lying if I said it wasn't. After all, a sky knight needs to be able to control their mount if they want to be part of the Hoshidan army. Myself especially, since I lead them. But you were able to keep up with me. You would've made an amazing sky knight!"

"Thanks," Scarlet said bashfully, some red rising to her cheeks. "I think I'll stay with Crimson though. After all, her and I have been through a lot together, ain't that right girl?"

Crimson let out a low-pitched growl in response before licking Scarlet with her lizard-like tongue. The wyvern rider giggled in response. "Hey! Crimson, that tickles!"

Once the wyvern calmed down, Scarlet continued speaking. "That was a great ride today, Princess Hinoka. Hopefully you saw what a wyvern can do. It should help you prepare for whatever Nohr has up its sleeves!"

Hinoka punched her fist into her open palm. "You know it! But if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a few questions about wyvern rider tactics. Want to join me for lunch?"

"Sounds great," Scarlet affirmed with a smile. "I have to take care of Crimson first, then I'll meet you in the dining hall. That work?"

"Of course. I need to see to Gatsuchi as well." Hinoka grabbed the reigns of her pegasus, leading him towards the border gate's stables, which served as the pegasi's home for the time being. "Meet ya there, Scarlet!"

"Okay!" Scarlet mounted Crimson, flying her to the tall – albeit, mostly empty – tower used by the wyvern and their riders.

Upon landing on the tower's cobblestone ledge, the wyvern rider dismounted her flying companion. Scarlet led her to the biggest stable in the roost, seeing to it that Crimson had the best lodging while they were at the border gate.

Once Crimson was settled into her little hay nest, Scarlet immediately went about taking care of her. She removed Crimson's armor and saddle with quick, practiced motions. After that, Scarlet brought Crimson some food: a few raw steaks provided by the Hoshidan army. Gleefully, Crimson began devouring her lunch while her rider went about grooming the flying lizard. It didn't take long, but Scarlet made sure to clean Crimson's scales and talons, and checked for any tears in her wings.

When she was satisfied with her work, Scarlet took off her own armor and placed it on an armor stand next to Crimson's stables. After she had finished, she was left in her riding clothes; a simple pair of black pants and an equally black sleeveless top. Scarlet also replaced her crimson greaves with a pair of black, leather riding boots. With everything taken care of on her post-flight check list, Scarlet left the wyvern roost to meet Hinoka in the dining hall.

This time around, Scarlet didn't get lost in the border gate's numerous hallways. She knew how armies worked; she'd been in one or another most of her life. And there was always one surefire way to find the place where food was being served: follow the steady stream of people. Everyone in that stream, whether having met up beforehand or just then, was heading towards the dining hall. After all, soldiers loved nothing more than a hot meal after a long shift. The Hoshidans were no exception to this rule, Scarlet had happily learned.

After trailing a big group of Hoshidan foot soldiers, Scarlet made it to her destination. Once she stepped through the wooden doors, she was hit with the familiar bittersweet smell of military-cooked food. The smell made her mouth water and her stomach clench at the same time. An odd mixture of emotions, but military food usually wasn't the best, just what was available. And Scarlet learned to enjoy eating anything that was available.

Before searching for Hinoka, the wyvern rider made a dash for the mess line, wanting to jump in before it lengthened. While she waited in line, she looked around the dining hall, noticing many of the more notable members of the Hoshidan army.

Scarlet first noticed that at one of the tables near the back – where very few people congregated – sat Hinoka. She was already eating and sat by herself, no doubt saving a seat for Scarlet.

The wyvern rider smiled warmly. She hadn't expected to find herself becoming friends with a member of Hoshidan royalty, but she realized she didn't mind it all. She made a mental note of where Hinoka was sitting.

In the center of the mess hall sat all of the Hoshidan royalty's retainers – save Kagero, Kaze, and Saizo, who were all on the scouting mission assigned to them by Ryoma.

They were… an eclectic group of people, to say the least. The samurai, Hana and Hinata, were playing around with the foreign Nohrian cutlery. Instead of focusing on their meal, they seemed to just enjoy their faux duel. Rather intensely, one might add, as neither of them seemed to be backing down.

Subaki seemed to let his wife simply carry on, enjoying his meal in relative silence. His small smile that appeared whenever he looked in Hana's direction, however, did not escape Scarlet. Yet, it seemed Oboro was being a bit more forceful with Hinata. At one point in the duel, she pulled on his hair, causing him to both lose to Hana and have his dinner knife taken from him. Hinata appeared crestfallen for a moment, but then just carried on eating like nothing had happened.

While this was all taking place, Hinoka's retainers – Azama and Setsuna, if Scarlet remembered correctly – were minding their own business. The shrine priest ate his meal quietly with a smile that Hinoka had described as 'downright odd'. Why the princess had said this, Scarlet did not know. Her other retainer, the archer, Setsuna, was busy watching a fly buzz around the table. She seemed to be content in her own little world; that is, until Azama snatched the fly with his chopsticks and simultaneously knocked Setsuna off balance. She fell from her seat on to her back, while Azama chuckled lightly before helping the archer back to her seat. Maybe Scarlet did need to watch out for the shrine priest…

But all in all, it seemed everyone had a place in the Hoshidan army. A diviner was giving a pair of younger soldiers – a boy and a girl – a prophecy. Once she finished speaking, they turned to each other, both blushing furiously before looking away.

A woman with only a white bandage wrapped around her breasts was talking with an older woman with an X-shaped scar on her face. Judging from their body movements, Scarlet figured they were sharing old war stories.

While on the opposite side of the room, a young man with what appeared to be a fox's tail was jumping from table to table, talking with everyone. At the moment, he was speaking to the other Nohrians, Scarlet recognized. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, until the pink-haired maid sneezed, spilling her hot cup of tea onto the lap of the silver-haired butler. His only reaction to the pain he felt was a grimace. He turned to his counterpart, reprimanding her for her actions.

Indeed, it seemed everyone in this army had a place. Hopefully Scarlet could find hers…

The wyvern rider shook her head, realizing she was next in line to receive her food. She quickly grabbed a bowl of soup, a small loaf of bread, and a glass of water. Then, she made her way to Hinoka's table. Scarlet greeted the sky knight as she sat down and began to eat her meal.

While both continued eating, they passed the time with small talk about pegasi and wyverns.

"The one thing you have to remember is that wyvern's have only a handful of weak spots." Scarlet was in the middle of chewing, and swallowed her food before continuing. She counted off with her fingers, "Their eyes, where their wings connect to their bodies, and their… well, groins."

"I never knew that," Hinoka admitted. She rested her chin on her hands. "What would be the easiest spot for a sky knight to exploit?"

Scarlet answered after some careful consideration. "With a spear, the easiest spot for a sky knight would be under the wings. Take down one of their wings, and they'll fall to the ground faster than a boulder rolling down a mountain."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind."

"But…" Scarlet interrupted. "You need to watch out for their riders. They usually wield axes, which do well against spears, I'm sure you know this. But some also use magic, which I hear can knock a sky knight right out of the sky. So you may want to think twice before charging at a wyvern rider."

"Well, that's how I fight," Hinoka replied with a determine look on her face. "Attack first, think later. Bring them down before they know what hit them."

"Funny, I think the same way." Scarlet had a pleased grin on her face, one that was matched by Hinoka.

"Guess great minds think alike," the warrior-princess chuckled. "Thanks for the help, Scarlet. I appreciate it."

"Anytime. Just next time we fly… teach me how to ride a pegasus!" Scarlet blurted with a jubilant look on her face. She loved to fly, but wyverns weren't exactly the most graceful creatures in the sky. She wanted to know what it was like to ride the wyvern's majestic, Hoshidan counterpart.

Hinoka blinked at Scarlet twice, before her smile returned. "It's a deal."

"Great! I look forward to it!"

Before Hinoka could formulate a response, a murmur began to spread throughout the dining hall. Upon turning their heads towards the entrance – where everyone else was looking – both Hinoka and Scarlet saw the crown prince of Hoshido, Ryoma. He looked around the dining hall quickly, seeming like he was searching for somebody. He then frowned in disappointment, and turned to exit the dining hall and continue his search elsewhere. For a moment, Scarlet stared at the spot where Ryoma was, not paying attention to anything Hinoka was saying.

"…but he's just being the protective type. I'm sure she's with Corrin somewhere. Uh… Scarlet?"

As Hinoka spoke her name, Scarlet turned her attention back to the princess and returned to reality. "Huh…?" she responded dumbly.

Hinoka rolled her eyes. "I said, Ryoma's probably looking for Azura. He looked worried, but he just wants to make sure she's okay, ya know?"

This piqued Scarlet's curiosity. "Why was Lord Ryoma looking for Azura?"

The warrior-princess looked at Scarlet for a moment, wondering if she should tell her. After all, not many people knew. Hinoka, however, shrugged, figuring everyone would know eventually. "Azura and Ryoma are engaged. He just announced it to us this morning. That's why he's looking for Azura. He just wants to talk to her, or care for her, or…"

Scarlet, again, blocked out everything Hinoka had said. Her eyes opened slightly wider than usual and her heart seemed to stop beating. The wyvern rider had no idea that Ryoma was involved with anyone romantically. From what she could tell, it hadn't seem like that was the case at all. But if what Hinoka told her was true… then Ryoma was already out of Scarlet's reach. She held the highest respect for him, ever since hearing about him and his exploits so long ago. Somewhere along the way, after meeting the prince, that respect must have turned into a crush.

Scarlet couldn't deny it, she felt something for the prince, but she hadn't exactly figured out what it was just yet. It seemed she never would, as Ryoma was engaged to Azura. Her face fell, as she stared at her food with a melancholy look in her eyes.

Once Hinoka noticed this, she stopped speaking and asked, "Scarlet? Are you alright?"

The wyvern rider's attention snapped back to Hinoka. "Um… yeah, just… I have to go." Scarlet stood up abruptly from the table and grabbed her tray of food.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Hinoka called after her. Scarlet didn't turn around though, throwing away her food and heading straight for the door. She left behind a confused Hinoka, who muttered, "What's gotten into her?"

* * *

 **A/N:**

" **Corrin and Azura attained support level…!"**

 **Oh, never mind… Too soon?**

 **So, I guess this fic still has a chance at being a Corrin/Scarlet fic. Good, good! At least I've kept that much true in this fic. Althought I might have disappointed the Azura/Corrin fans a bit... Azura/Ryoma fans, help me out here? But it does look like things are going to start getting more interesting, don't ya think?**

 **Thanks for checking out this latest chapter y'all! Hope I didn't disappoint with the first chapter that starts to actually move the plot along. It was definitely an interesting write, I can tell you that much!**

 **As always, I would like to thank TheRepeat for another great beta of another chapter. Seriously he really has been an enormous help with this project.**

 **So I won't hold you guys up any longer. If you can, don't be afraid to drop this fic a review, add it to your favorites list, or decide to follow. Honestly, if you've read this far, I can't thank you enough. But also honestly, dropping any sort of review also brightens up my day. Then I really can't thank you enough!**

 **Hope you enjoyed the story,**

 **nickdaman6**


	5. Chapter 5

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thanks!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: A Chance Meeting**

Corrin stomped through the forest's underbrush. Sticks and rocks stuck into his feet, and tree branches and bushes scratched him to no end. Yet, he didn't seem to care. His anger carried him forward to some unknown location. He had no idea where he was, but again, he didn't care. The young prince didn't even seem to pay attention to time anymore, having been trudging around the wilderness for what was most likely hours. The tree canopy blocked the sky, however, making it almost impossible to judge where the sun was at the moment. All Corrin could tell was that there was sunlight, which was good enough for him.

Although, at this moment, Corrin did know that he was somewhere near the base of one of the many mountains dotting southern Nohr. His feet had begun carrying him up an incline. A dull ache began to form in his legs, no doubt about that. The question was, though, whether he could feel any of it or if he just didn't care. Along with the incline came a small drop in temperature. But to Corrin it felt even colder, as his entire being was still reeling from Azura's confession earlier that day.

At first, Corrin hadn't known how to react to the songstress' engagement, especially since he had confessed his love for her only moments before her announcement. All he could do was stare at her in shock, as his body caught up with the realization that Azura would never love him. Then, when feeling rushed back into his body, he was hit by a flurry of emotions. None of them felt right. Sadness? Too pitiful. Happiness for Azura? Too painful. So, all the young prince could do was fall back on his anger. Never had he acted like that towards Azura, but after hearing what she had to say, he couldn't handle it any other way. He had stormed off into the forest, only pausing to wish Azura happiness.

Now, the sights and sounds of the forest all blurred together as he continued his trek. Corrin had retreated fully into his mind, analyzing what he could have done wrong, as any man with a broken heart would do. He didn't even know who Azura was marrying. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know, since it was most likely someone in the Hoshidan army. A breath of fuming air passed through his nostrils as he realized he would find out sooner or later.

A few more minutes passed before the fatigue of hiking through the slopes of a forested mountain caught up to Corrin. His breathing had become ragged and came out in almost shallow gasps for air. The ache in his legs also made itself known to the prince. His thoughts now interrupted, Corrin finally came to his senses and searched for a place to rest. Eventually, he caught sight of a massive boulder. Though his legs protested against any more movement, the young prince made his way towards the boulder.

He climbed atop the massive rock and sat on it. All he could see was dense forest; he could barely make out the sky, and animals seemed to have left him alone. Once he had finally let himself rest, he began thinking a bit more clearly about the whole situation with Azura.

Corrin replayed the earlier conversation in his head. As he did so, he could feel that bitter anger rising again. Who else could have possibly gained Azura's affection? After all he and Azura had been through, after all of those late nights and early mornings they shared in each other's company, how could someone else have earned the songstress' heart? No one came to mind as he thought on these questions. The prince shook his head in annoyance, eventually giving up. He would learn soon enough. That is, if he ever talked to Azura again.

"Dammit," Corrin mumbled. He wasn't even sure if he could _see_ Azura again, let alone return to speaking terms with her. The mixture of emotions he felt when he thought about Azura ranged from sadness to love to agitation. How could he ever talk to her again without feeling any of these?

The prince closed his eyes tightly, hanging his head. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Corrin's voice rose in volume with each word. Had he just lost not only the woman he loved, but also a dear friend?

As he thought of the word 'friend', Corrin raised his head. His eyes opened as a sudden flicker of realization broke through his anger.

Azura was his friend.

Somewhere in his self-pity he had forgotten this simple little fact. Before Azura was someone he loved, she was one of Corrin's closest friends.

They had enjoyed mornings together speaking on the topic of Nohr and Hoshido over breakfast. Azura had sung for Corrin many times, both on and off the battlefield. Corrin had included Azura in numerous conversations with the rest of the Hoshidan royal siblings, never forgetting that she was a part of their family. And during the night, they would spin each other stories, or gaze at the stars, or talk about simple matters until one or the other fell asleep. In the easiest of phrases, Azura and Corrin were best friends. Yet, they were so much more than that. And Corrin had believed that meant they were in love. But he was wrong…

Upon reflecting on all of these memories, Corrin's realization finally hit him full force. Azura was his friend – one of his BEST friends. He couldn't let a matter such as this ruin that. Of course, it would take time for this tear in his heart to mend, but Corrin was sure it would. And sure, Corrin couldn't immediately be happy for Azura's engagement, but he could try. Yet, no matter what, Corrin had to be there for Azura. After all, he wasn't one to leave his friends behind.

A sad smile came to the prince's face. "I'm sorry, Azura," he spoke aloud. "We're still friends. I shouldn't have left you like that. Gods… I'm such an idiot." Corrin shook his head as he laughed humorlessly. "Maybe you don't love me, but there is someone that you do love, and who loves you back. I guess I can be happy about that. After all, if I'm not, then what kind of friend am I?"

Corrin knew he couldn't immediately dust himself off and say 'I'm alright'. Yet, he was willing to try over time. When he returned to the border gate, he would find Azura and speak to her. He wanted to clear the air with her… But he still sat upon the boulder.

His body wouldn't move, because it didn't want to. Even though Corrin had realized all of this, he knew he still needed a little more time to come to terms with Azura's engagement before confronting her. And possibly someone to talk to. Maybe he could go find Silas, or Jakob, or…

Corrin's ears twitched in response to a sudden burst of sound. It echoed off of the mountain. A few moments later, the same noise – a bang – repeated itself. The young prince turned his head from side to side, trying to locate where the noise was coming from. However, it wasn't in Corrin's immediate view. This noise, which sounded like flint striking steel to make a fire, prompted Corrin to jump off of his boulder.

He waited silently with closed eyes for the sound to be made again, wanting to pinpoint its approximate location. But he heard nothing but the usual rustling of the forest.

Nothing…

Nothing…

And still, nothing…

Just when Corrin feared he had lost the sound, it reverberated throughout the forest once again. His ears flickered again as he faced the direction of where he believed it had originated. Without another moment's hesitation, Corrin began walking towards the banging.

Once again trekking through the forest's underbrush, Corrin kept following the noise. It started to become louder, showing he was heading in the right direction. Eventually, he came to a small clearing in the forest, right up against the mountain. More importantly, this was where the sound was the loudest. He searched the area from his position for only a few seconds before discovering the source of the banging.

His eyes laid upon the familiar figure of a certain blonde, wyvern rider.

Corrin stood still, watching her curiously. A part of him – the rational and sane part, he would say – wanted to retreat, fearing yet another argument with the fire-tempered woman.

His ability to act rationally, however, was impaired at the moment. Without thinking, he found himself approaching her instead.

Why? He neither knew nor cared.

* * *

Scarlet had been out in the woods for hours, scouring near the mountains for what she called 'sweet stones'. After leaving Hinoka at the dining hall alone, the wyvern rider had gone to indulge in her secret hobby to take her mind off of certain… happenings. Though try as she might, her mind kept returning to Azura and Ryoma's engagement. Scarlet didn't know what it was about Ryoma getting married, but it struck a painful chord within her. Yet deep down, she knew why this announcement had hit her a little hard.

Ever since hearing about the legendary Lord Ryoma engaging the Nohrians in battle, Scarlet had begun harboring a puppy dog crush on the then-mythical figure. Nothing too special, not love or any ideas of marriage. It didn't even feel like a crush at first, but a healthy respect for the Hoshidan prince. Yet in the depths of her heart that crush lay hidden. It wasn't until she met Ryoma that Scarlet began to accept these feelings for what they were.

The stone she was currently working on slipped out of her hands when that thought came up. A small blush rose to her freckled cheeks as she remembered Ryoma revealing himself to her and the rest of the Cheve Rebellion. He was everything Scarlet had imagined him to be; he was strong, a leader amongst men, and honest – save the whole disguise fiasco he nad perpetrated to sneak into Nohr. It was a chance meeting that changed Scarlet's life forever, and it was because of that that she had pledged her loyalty and her rebellion's loyalty to Ryoma. After their meeting, it was then that Scarlet had thought she might have a chance to act on the feelings she harbored for the samurai-prince.

Yet that chance was whisked away from her.

On that note, Scarlet shook her head, trying desperately to rid herself of those thoughts and continue searching for gems.

 _Stupid, stupid Scarlet. He's just a man_ , she scowled as she reprimanded herself. _There are plenty of other wyverns in the sky, after all. So, back to work._

Over the past hour, Scarlet had amassed a small fortune's worth of precious and semi-precious gemstones. Most were smaller than a person's pupil, but those were the ones the wyvern rider wanted. They ranged from amethysts to rubies, and even an emerald or two were mixed in the pile somewhere. None of them were what she needed, however. So, she continued shattering rocks to get at the gems. With her luck, she'd be out here for quite a while longer before she found what she needed.

 _Besides, it's probably best that I don't go back for a bit. I might run into-_ Scarlet stopped herself mid-thought with another shake of her head.

"No, stop Scarlet," she said to herself. Scarlet began lifting the rock currently in her hand over her head. "Now, let's get back to work. One more whack oughtta do it… HEAVE-!"

"Scarlet?"

The sudden voice caught her off-guard, causing the rock she had in her hands to slip from her grasp. It hurdled violently towards the familiar voice. Scarlet turned around just in time to see the rock hit a tree.

And a sprawled Corrin on the forest floor.

"Corrin? What are you doing!? I could have hit you in the head, you know!" Scarlet stood up from her kneeling position, arms now crossed over her chest. "It's not polite to sneak up on someone like that!"

"Why are you yelling at me!?" Corrin stood from his laying position, dusting off his clothes as he did so. "You're the one that almost took my head off!"

"Yeah, well…" Scarlet turned away from Corrin, not wanting to apologize to the naïve prince. "You startled me. What'd you think was going to happen?"

"Obviously not that! _You_ need to be more careful!

"Well so do you!"

"I-"

Corrin halted his rant prematurely, taking a deep breath through his nose and exhaling through his mouth. "Listen, I'm not in the mood for this right now. So… I'm sor…"

Scarlet couldn't make out the last part of Corrin's sentence. "What was that?"

"I'm sorry!" the prince exclaimed. "Okay? I'm sorry about startling you."

The wyvern rider was, once again, caught off-guard. Since when did Corrin apologize to her? After all that had happened over the past day alone, most people would be more stubborn than this. Scarlet didn't know how to respond at all.

There was a moment of awkward silence before Scarlet cleared her throat. She decided on being a bit passive aggressive. After all, today wasn't her day either. "Yeah, well, you better be."

"Yeah…" Corrin replied. A small smirk flashed across his face for a brief second before disappearing again.

Another awkward silence fell between the two. Corrin rubbed the back of his neck and looked around the forest, not seeming to pay attention to Scarlet. The wyvern rider's eyes were wandering too, however. Both avoided eye contact, since neither knew what to say next.

So Scarlet, deciding she wouldn't mind the company to keep her mind off of a certain prince, said the first thing that came to mind.

Which was, of course, "So… didja hear about Lord Ryoma's engagement?"

Scarlet's eyes widened after hearing what she said. She hadn't meant to bring that up. This really wasn't her day.

"Ryoma's engagement?" Corrin asked, a confused look on his face. "My brother's engaged…? To who!?" The prince's face seemed to perk up at the announcement. It appeared he hadn't heard about this yet, Scarlet realized.

"O-oh… W-well, I was told by Princess Hinoka earlier today. And I don't know if she wanted anyone else to know…" Scarlet hoped to move on to a different subject, but Corrin wasn't having any of it.

"Come on, he's my brother! I'm sure she'd be okay if you told family, right?" Corrin pushed, a smile still etched on his face.

Scarlet had to admit, it was nice to see the prince smile for a change, even if the air between them still wasn't cleared.

The wyvern rider shook her head slightly, forcing that thought out of her head. She sighed and gave in. "Well, I guess when you put it that way… Lord Ryoma is engaged to Lady Azura."

Instantly, the smile on Corrin's face disappeared.

It was Scarlet's turn to be confused now. Usually a sibling's engagement would be a call for celebration. Wouldn't it? After all, the wyvern rider wasn't familiar with the Hoshidan culture. Did she say something wrong?

"Corrin?" she asked hesitantly, taking a step towards him. No response, he was instead focusing on the forest floor. "Corrin?" Scarlet tried again, hoping to get him to react in some way. But again, he didn't move. "Corrin!" the wyvern rider spoke louder this time. That seemed to snap the prince out of it.

"Huh?" Corrin's head shot up. "Oh, sorry… I don't know what came over me." The prince tried to recover, rubbing the back of his neck. He had a forced smile on his face. "That's… great to hear. I'm surprised Ryoma didn't tell me anything…" The prince laughed humorlessly.

Scarlet crossed her arms over her chest again, narrowing her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"What? Of course I'm okay! We've won a major victory, Azura and Ryoma are getting married, and everything's… just… okay!" Corrin could already tell Scarlet wasn't buying any of it, so he quickly changed the subject before she could interject. "So, Scarlet, what's with all the rocks?" He gestured at the pile of varying stones behind the wyvern rider, taking her eyes off of him for a moment.

Scarlet turned away from her afternoon's work, back to Corrin. "Well, I'm just… busting them up," she responded sheepishly. She wasn't exactly eager to let Corrin (of all people) in on her secret hobby.

The young prince looked at the wyvern rider skeptically. "You're breaking rocks?"

Scarlet nodded her head slowly in response.

"For fun, or…?" Corrin left the question unfinished, hoping Scarlet could fill in the blanks.

"Sort of..." Scarlet rubbed the back of her head, while Corrin was still staring at her. Realizing she probably wasn't going to get out of this so easily, Scarlet sighed in annoyance. "Just come with me and I'll show ya."

The wyvern rider gestured for Corrin to join her. Reluctantly, he followed after her, coming to her side.

Scarlet pointed to the pile of gems she had collected. "You see those sparkly bits there?" she asked.

Corrin nodded as he felt a small sense of awe. "Wow, I don't think I've seen that many jewels before. Well, except in Castle Krakenburg. The jewelry nobles would wear…"

"Would you let me finish?"

The prince snapped back to the present. He narrowed his eyes at the wyvern rider's tone. "Alright, alright."

"Thank you, your _highness_ ," Scarlet said with a mock bow. She snickered as Corrin rolled his eyes. "Anyway, you see those other sparkly bits mixed in with all the dirt and rubble?"

Opposite the pile of jewels was a pile of smaller, smashed rocks. Amidst the dull greys, blacks, and browns were sparkling hues of reds, purples, blues, and greens. Safe to say that Scarlet had probably amassed a small fortune here.

"They look like jewels…" Corrin responded dumbfoundedly, his eyes still on the numerous gems.

"Of course they're jewels!" Scarlet chuckled at Corrin's obvious statement and pointed at a final pile of rocks she had gathered. "I'm smashing these rocks apart to get at the good stuff inside."

"Geez, you don't have to be so condescending about it." Corrin's eyes narrowed at Scarlet once again.

"Then don't say something so obvious," Scarlet retorted, as she raised her eyebrow, challenging the prince to counter her. For a moment neither of them backed down. A fire began to spark within both of them, and they felt it. They knew their attempts at a civil conversation would end if that fire grew any bigger.

"Alright, alright, I get it," Corrin relented with a sigh, trying to stave off another argument once again. "You can be almost as blunt as Hinoka sometimes, you know that?"

The wyvern knight giggled in response, her mood calming down. "I'll make sure to tell her that."

"Please don't…"

"No promises," Scarlet threatened in a singsong voice. She had to admit, it was fun egging Corrin on like this. His expressions were priceless.

Ignoring Scarlet's threat, Corrin continued. "So what do you do with all of these gems? Do you sell them? Make them into jewelry?"

Scarlet guffawed. "You think I turn these little gems into a necklace or what have you? Have you _met_ me? That's not my style at all, Corrin."

That was a fair point, but Corrin didn't think Scarlet was collecting these gems for profit either. So, what could she be using them for?

Corrin brought his hand to his chin for a moment, thinking back to the other instances he met with Scarlet. _She doesn't wear jewelry; that much is obvious_ , he contemplated. _I've never seen her talk to any merchants about gems. She doesn't seem like the studious type, either, so I can cross out scientific studies. And her gear…_ _Wait a minute, her axe, that's it!_ The prince recalled a moment from the previous battle when he had fought alongside Scarlet – he had seen a glimmer shine from the haft of her axe.

"Oh! I see now." Corrin put the palm of his hand to his forehead. "These are the rocks you use to decorate your weapon!"

"Hey, give the man a prize! You're a lot smarter than you look, Corrin." Scarlet nudged him playfully. Despite herself, the wyvern rider was happy to share this secret hobby with someone. Not many people knew this side of her. It was refreshing for someone else to witness it… even if it was Corrin. "I'd show you how it works, but… I'm out of the most important material."

This caught Corrin's attention. "What's that, if I might ask?"

"My magic gunk! It sticks to anything!" Scarlet responded matter-of-factly, as if Corrin had asked her the most obvious question in the world. "Too bad, I might have actually given you a demonstration if I had some."

"'Magic gunk', huh?" Corrin parroted.

"Yup… Oh well, next time we're on leave I'll pick some up. If we're ever on leave again, that is," Scarlet sighed overdramatically.

For a moment, everything was silent again, until Corrin started chuckling. Eventually, he began laughing out loud, clutching his stomach as he did so. Not much later, Scarlet joined in. Neither of them knew exactly why they were laughing, but for some reason, it felt good and it felt like they needed it.

It took some time, but the pair started to calm down.

"W-we must look like crazy people right now," Corrin said in between gasps for breath. He let loose one more laugh before fully collecting himself and facing Scarlet.

"Yeah, probably. What was that about anyway?" Scarlet asked.

"I don't know, but… I felt like I needed it. Didn't you?"

The wyvern rider nodded her head slowly, a smile now plainly splayed across her face. "I did." Scarlet paused for a moment before mumbling, "Thanks."

This caught Corrin off-guard. He turned to Scarlet, a mischievous smile starting to appear on his face. He had to milk this for all it was worth. "What was that?" the prince asked, feigning like he hadn't heard Scarlet.

"I said 'thanks'," Scarlet repeated.

"Sorry, one more time. I think there must have been something in my ear, because it sounded like you were thanking me."

It was then that Scarlet saw through Corrin's act. She shoved him by the shoulder. "Well, don't get used to it! You won't be getting another one anytime soon."

Corrin chuckled lightly. "I wouldn't dare dream of it." At this point, the prince looked up towards the sky, noticing that some of the light breaking through the forest canopy was disappearing. "Looks like it's starting to get late. We might want to head back."

Scarlet nodded as she noticed the same thing. "You're probably right. You go on ahead, I need to pack up here."

"You sure you don't… need any help?" Corrin questioned hesitantly.

"No, I should be fine. There isn't too much to do. I'll catch up with you later."

"Alright, if you insist," Corrin relented. "I'll see you back at the border gate." He waved goodbye to Scarlet as he began walking in what Corrin believed to be the correct direction.

"See you there." Scarlet waved back before turning to gather the jewels she collected.

As she was packing up her afternoon's findings, she smiled brightly. After talking to Corrin, Scarlet felt immensely better than before. In the back of her mind, she also wondered if Corrin felt the same. After all, something seemed to have been bothering the prince. From what Scarlet could tell, however, it appeared that their conversation had turned Corrin's mood around for the better as well.

Without even noticing it at first, Scarlet began whistling a merry tune. She eagerly awaited the moment she could find some magic gunk and begin work on her next project.

* * *

 **A/N:**

" **Corrin and Scarlet attained support level C!"**

 **Yes, yes I will keep making these announcements at the end of each support convo… no matter how obvious they may be. Heh…**

 **So that's chapter 5 everyone. This was one of my favorite chapters to write thus far, because this is where everything starts getting to the plot and makes a change in Corrin and Scarlet's relationship. From pain breeds understanding which breeds friendship which breeds, well, a shippable pairing!**

 **Thanks for reading this far, y'all. Things will get interesting from here on in! Though I will also warn that chapters might be getting a bit slower out, but not by much. I have one more pre-written chapter going through beta and then I will be caught up. So, just a heads up for y'all.**

 **And as always, a shout out to my beta, TheRepeat! Thanks, man!**

 **I hope enjoyed this update, y'all. If you liked, please let me know with a review, and if you didn't, then please critique me with a review. Otherwise, follow and/or favorite for future chapters, and thank you for reading, as always!**

 **Peace,**

 **nickdaman6**


	6. Chapter 6

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thanks!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Moving On**

A few days had passed since Azura and Ryoma's announcement of their engagement. Apparently, only the new members of the Hoshidan army seemed surprised. Some, more so the older members and more observant royal retainers, had known this was bound to happen since the newly engaged had been teens. From what Corrin had heard, Ryoma would sometimes sneak off with Azura inside the castle, hiding from his mother and other royal duties. At first, Corrin couldn't believe it; his brother, Ryoma, the High Prince of Hoshido, doing something so frivolous and care-free? But after talking with Sakura, she confirmed a handful of times when she saw the two walking amidst the cherry blossoms in spring, or around the frozen lake in winter. It was a surprise for Corrin to learn this about his brother and Azura. Yet now everyone knew of Azura and Ryoma's involvement with each other.

Many in the Hoshidan army, especially those close to the pair, were abuzz with excitement, Corrin had noticed. Most of the women were excited for a wedding, while the men were more eager for a possible break from war. Several people had already begun finding a date for the wedding. Corrin wasn't surprised with some of the pairings; of course, Subaki would go with Hana and Hinata would go with Oboro. However, what Corrin wanted to know was who his brother and sisters would ask to join them, or who Silas would ask.

After voicing this question to Hinoka – mistakenly during one of their sparing sessions – Corrin ended up with a few new bruises instead. He assumed that that was a no.

Meanwhile, his other sister, Sakura, simply blushed so hard that her cheeks appeared similar in color to her hair. Then she took off, having left Corrin without a direct answer. The young prince had no idea what to make of that.

His brother, Takumi, was almost as equally vague. Takumi had simply sighed and said "Perhaps" before leaving his brother behind.

And Silas, well, after their discussion during the poker game those few nights ago, would presumably not have a date.

In Corrin's mind, however, this was a plus. This way, he was at least sure that he wouldn't be the only one alone at the wedding. They could feast, drink, and celebrate together, which sounded better and better as Corrin thought about it. The longer he thought on the wedding, however, his attitude would always turn dour.

Of course, Corrin was _trying_ to be happy for Azura and Ryoma, but sometimes he just couldn't handle it. His heartbreak would reappear and he would return to the afternoon he'd stormed away from Azura. Corrin hadn't even talked to Azura since then, not being able to find the strength to approach her quite yet. Every time he saw her, he would duck out of the room or avoid her at all costs. The prince knew this wasn't fair to the songstress, but… he just needed a little more time.

When he was ready, he would seek Azura out.

In the meantime, the prince simply sought out someone else to talk to whenever these thoughts became too much to bear. Oddly enough, it was Scarlet that he would usually end up speaking with.

It started the day after they met in the woods. Corrin was back atop the battlements, thinking to himself. Eventually, Scarlet came to join, figuring that's where the young prince would be. Noticing Corrin's pensive look, the wyvern rider asked him what was on his mind.

He didn't immediately begin spilling out his concerns to her, about the war and his Nohrian family. But after meeting at the same spot over the past few days, Corrin began opening up and sharing his thoughts with Scarlet. Sometimes, the wyvern rider would even speak her concerns.

Corrin and Scarlet would spend hours together walking around the border gate, training, or simply talking over some tea or food.

Their relationship was definitely changing for the better.

Today, however, Corrin was neither thinking about the upcoming wedding nor spending time with Scarlet.

Instead, the war council had been called to the border gate's strategy room immediately after breakfast. Judging by what Ryoma had said, Corrin assumed that Kaze and Saizo had both returned with their separate scouting groups. So this meeting would most likely determine whether they would risk marching to Mount Garou immediately or wait until winter ended.

Corrin and Silas decided to walk to the strategy room together – mostly so that the prince wouldn't get lost along the way. As the pair entered the room, all eyes turned to them.

"Corrin. Silas." Ryoma acknowledged each in turn.

Both nodded their heads in response before taking their places across from Ryoma. Corrin noticed Scarlet almost immediately. He smiled her way, and received one from the wyvern rider in turn.

Silas nudged Corrin in the ribs with his elbow. He whispered into Corrin's ear, "Looks like I'm gonna be the only one without a date, huh?"

For a moment, Corrin stared back at Silas with a questioning look. Once the prince realized what his friend was saying, a light blush rose to his cheeks. "I-it's not like that!" Corrin whispered with a stutter.

The knight chuckled quietly. "Sure. Guess I was right, huh?"

"Shut up," Corrin hissed back.

"Corrin, Silas, is there a problem?" Ryoma interrupted their secretive conversation, staring their way with narrowed eyes.

"No, brother," Corrin replied almost immediately.

"Then please, focus. Now, as I was saying…" Ryoma began, continuing his original train of thought. "Kaze and Saizo have returned with key information on both Mount Garou and the Nohrian army. If you would, please give them your undivided attention."

At this point, both Kaze and Saizo stepped up to the table.

"Thank you, Lord Ryoma," the red-haired brother, Saizo, began. "My scouts and I have discovered that Prince Corrin's assumption was correct; the Nohrians have indeed bedded down for the winter. At least half of them have." The ninja removed half of the black wooden blocks – representing the Nohrian army – that block the pass that led further into Nohr. "The other half, mostly higher ranking generals, have returned to their homes to ride out the winter in their cozy manors. This leaves the Nohrian army without much of their main force and leaders. However…"

"Attacking a dug-in, fortified position in such narrow terrain would be a difficult, if not impossible victory," Ryoma finished, focusing on the map before him.

"Indeed, milord. The fact that they would still outnumber us does not bode well either."

"So we can forget about attacking them head on," Takumi mumbled through his hand. "Meaning the other option would be hiking up Mount Garou. And 'smart' is definitely not the word I would use to describe that plan…"

"This is true, but let's listen to what Kaze has to say before coming to a decision," Ryoma reasoned, and gestured to the green-haired ninja.

"Milord. My scouts and I searched all around the base of the mountain, but found no other accessible route. All paths are either guarded by Nohrian troops, or blocked off by early snowfall."

"So that most likely means that the peak of Mount Garou is already completely covered in snow," Corrin deduced, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

"It would seem so, Prince Corrin." Kaze examined the map for a moment before continuing with his bad news. "I hate to say it, but either strategy we take poses bold risks. We would most likely lose more soldiers than would be acceptable."

"That we would. It's a troubling position we find ourselves in, that is for certain. However," Ryoma turned his attention from the map to Corrin, "the decision is ultimately up to you, Corrin."

The room fell silent as everyone's gaze drifted towards the young prince. Corrin's eyes were closed as he rubbed his chin in thought. He could feel the weight of everyone's stares on his shoulders, as well as the burden of making this decision. After all, it was no easy choice. On one hand, the Hoshidan army could completely surprise and immobilize the Nohrian army by hiking through Mount Garou now. But on the other hand, Mount Garou's winter had already begun, and would prove a difficult trek. The way Corrin looked at it, he assumed that half of their army would die to the cold and starvation alone. And that was the best case scenario. Corrin didn't want to think about the worst case.

After a few more moments of internal deliberation, Corrin opened his eyes. In his most commanding voice, he rendered his decision. "With Nohr outnumbering us and our only alternative path into Nohr covered in snow, we would be in for a tough fight either way. We'd lose numerous men and possibly our chance at ending this war. That is why we should put our invasion of Nohr on hold until we can safely climb Mount Garou, or as safe as we possibly can. Until then, we should do as the Nohrians have done and hold our position over the coming months."

The room seemed to release a collective sigh of relief, as many gave Corrin a smile of agreement and gratitude. Most in the room shared the same sentiments; there was simply too risk in invading Nohr right now. Some, however, stared Corrin down, notably Saizo and Takumi – both still seemed to have issues trusting and agreeing with the young prince. As Corrin gauged everyone's reactions in the moments after he made his decision, his eyes finally stopped on Scarlet.

Corrin's eyes widened a bit in surprise. Instead of giving him a death glare like Saizo and Takumi, she gave him a wry smile and a nod of approval. The prince was a little shocked, to say the least. Out of everyone in the strategy room, he expected Scarlet to be the one most against waiting.

Before the prince could read any more into it, Ryoma spoke. "That's a smart choice, Corrin. It will give all of us ample time to rest and ready ourselves for the coming battles. I support your decision wholeheartedly. And since we are to retire from the battlefield for a few months, I have an announcement to make…"

Both Corrin's and Scarlet's mood dimmed at the mention of the announcement. Everyone else in the room, however, seemed to perk up at Ryoma's statement. They knew what Ryoma was most likely going to say.

"As you all may know, Azura and I are engage." A round of applause and a sharp whistle from Silas caused Ryoma to pause in his speech, and rub the back of his head in embarrassment. He chuckled uneasily as the applause calmed. "Well… thank you. Anyway, we have decided that we would have our wedding at the earliest opportunity presented to us. Which is, um… now." Ryoma, unused to speaking his feelings so plainly, stumbled over his words. "S-so, tomorrow she and I will be leaving for Cyrkensia to begin planning our wedding posthaste. Everyone here is invited to attend, as are the rest of our friends, family, and retainers. We would be honored if you were to join us."

"Count me in, brother!" Hinoka immediately responded. "It would be a nice break from battle. Plus, I wouldn't miss out on your wedding." The sky knight nudged Ryoma with her elbow, earning a small laugh from the prince.

"I might as well come too. I hear that Cyrkensian archers are second to none, and wouldn't mind learning a thing or two from them," With a confident smirk, Takumi added, "Or proving them wrong, for that matter."

"C-count me in, brother! And if you wouldn't m-mind, I would love to help plan your wedding!" Sakura chimed eagerly.

Everyone else nodded and confirmed their attendance with enthusiasm. They all began talking excitedly amongst themselves as they started planning out their leave in Cyrkensia. Eventually, Ryoma calmed them down to speak once more.

"You'd have to take that up with Azura, Sakura. But thank you for the support, all of you. We leave tomorrow at first light, so be ready then and spread word to anyone else who would wish to attend."

Again, the room exploded in a swirl of excited conversation and congratulations to the betrothed prince. Two people in the room, specifically a white-haired prince and a certain wyvern rider, wore fake smiles and tried to appear happy for him.

Feeling uncomfortable from all the cheer, Corrin slowly snuck out the door. No one noticed as the prince inched out of the strategy room. That is, until the metallic click of the door's lock finally drew Scarlet's attention.

* * *

Once he exited the strategy room, Corrin began walking hastily down the hallway. He needed something to take his mind off of this, so he made a beeline for his temporary quarters. Packing his few belongings for the long trek back to Cyrkensia wouldn't be a bad place to start.

As the prince rounded the corner to his room, he paused. Standing in front of the door to the garrison, blocking Corrin's path to his room, was none other than Azura.

For a moment, Corrin was frozen in his place, not sure where to go or what to do. Before he could make a decision and leave, she turned his way. She had noticed Corrin.

Immediately, Corrin jumped back around the corner. He prayed to the gods above that Azura hadn't noticed him, but it seemed they did not look upon Corrin with favor today.

"Corrin?" Azura called after him. Then, when she was more sure, she continued. "Corrin. Please, we need to talk."

The pleading in Azura's voice tugged at Corrin's heart. Sweat began to form on the back of the prince's neck. He wasn't sure he was ready to confront the songstress yet, but it almost sounded like Azura was _begging_ him to talk to her.

Corrin mentally argued with himself as he tried to figure out what to do. Then, with a heavy sigh, the prince decided to confront the songstress. After all, his relationship with Azura was already strained, and Corrin wasn't willing to make it worse than it already was. So, gathering up his courage and mentally preparing himself, the prince turned around the corner.

"H-hey, Azura," Corrin began lamely. He slowly approached her. "How's it… going?"

Azura sighed, wearing a sad look. "I've been looking for you, Corrin… for a while now. I have to ask, have you been avoiding me?"

"What!? N-no, of course not, Azura! Why would I be avoiding you?" The speed at which Corrin denied Azura's accusation made him appear all the more guilty. Trying to sound more sincere, the prince added in, "It's not like that at all."

"I thought as much," Azura replied, not buying his lie for a second. She looked towards the ground, and mumbled again, "We… need to talk, Corrin."

It was Corrin's turn to sigh now. Sure, anxiety still crawled up his spine, and the right words had yet to come to him… what to say, what to say…

But he'd found Azura in a melancholy mood when she should have been beyond happy. Corrin couldn't possibly retreat now.

He gulped loudly as cold sweat continued trickling down the back of the prince's neck. Against the dryness forming in his throat, Corrin could only mutter, "I know."

Azura nodded. However, just like when they had met those few days ago, neither of them knew where to begin; they both secretly hoped that the other would take the lead.

"Corrin…"

"Azura…"

Both of their heads shot up to look at the other. They had again spoken at the same time.

"You first," they insisted in unison. A small smile appeared on both of their faces.

"No, you," the pair told each other.

They chuckled lightly. Some of the air between them swiftly cleared, but there was still the elephant in the room. Once Corrin reached this realization, his smile disappeared.

"Azura, I-"

The prince was hushed quickly by Azura holding a finger to his lips.

"Maybe I should go first this time, Corrin," the songstress said as she withdrew her finger. All the prince could do was nod.

Azura took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When she was truly ready, she opened her eyes. "Corrin, I wanted to apologize for what I have done. I… I really didn't know. Never did I think that you felt that way, or it didn't cross my mind, at least.

"I was so overjoyed by my and Ryoma's engagement that I didn't even consider that you thought of me in such a way. It always felt like we were the best of friends, and that I could always count on you. So, I thought you would have been happy for me, and for your brother." Azura brought her hands to her chest, and she bowed her head. "I'd understand if you weren't. After all, I did announce my engagement right after you gave me your confession. I realize how selfish and oblivious I was. But I just hope that perhaps one day," her eyes focused on Corrin once more to fully deliver her plea, "you can be happy for me. As my best friend. So please, Corrin, forgive me for my foolishness."

Corrin stood still for a moment. He was stunned, but not entirely surprised by what Azura had said. The prince knew that she would ask his forgiveness, but never did he think that she would ask for it in such a way.

Corrin smiled softly. "Azura, I've already forgiven you."

The songstress' eyes widened. "You have?"

"Yes," Corrin replied with a mirthful chuckle. "After spending time alone in the forest, I realized something. Though I do love you, it wasn't meant to be like what you and my brother have. You're my best friend, Azura. I can't stay mad at you. And I realized how much of an idiot I was, storming off on you like that. I may not be overjoyed with your engagement, but I'm trying my best to be happy for you. As any friend should. So instead of you asking for my forgiveness, I should be asking for yours."

As soon as Corrin had begun speaking, Azura's eyes had started to well up with tears. Once the prince had finished, the songstress clung on to Corrin and pulled him into her embrace. For a moment, Corrin didn't know what to do. He quickly recovered, however, and returned his friend's hug.

"You have it, Corrin," Azura sniffled. A smile appeared on her face. "You're my friend –my best friend. You never have to ask for my forgiveness."

Corrin smiled in turn.

The pair stayed in each other's arms for a few moments longer before breaking away. Azura wiped away the few tears that managed to trail down her cheeks. "I'm glad we talked, Corrin," she admitted.

"Me too," the prince agreed.

"Good," said Azura, smiling. "Now, I have to speak with Ryoma about some things. So, if you don't mind, could we talk more later?"

"Of course."

"Alright, then I will see you later. Goodbye!" With that, Azura turned away from Corrin and walked down the hallway. The prince watched after her until she disappeared from his view.

Corrin smiled as he shook his head softly. He opened the door to the garrison, feeling better than he had in days. Not everything would be easy in repairing their friendship, but Corrin realized that this conversation with Azura was an amazing place to start.

As the metal door to the garrison closed with a metallic click, Scarlet poked her head around the corner of the hallway. She looked sadly at the wooden door.

 _I had no idea,_ she thought.

* * *

Early the next day, a portion of the Hoshidan army had departed from the border gate, eager for the journey to Cyrkensia. As happy as they were to celebrate their prince's wedding, many just wanted a break from the war. For months, much of the Hoshidan army had been constantly on edge, ready to fight when needed. This was, for most, one of their first major breaks from fighting.

Over the course of the trip to Cyrkensia, several of the soldiers were talking about the upcoming wedding amongst themselves. More importantly, they talked about who was bringing whom. The already-married couples weren't mentioned, but several people were already pairing off dates. Unlike before when Corrin had earlier approached his siblings about who they were taking, the prince heard some different answers from the rumors flying around.

"I heard Princess Sakura actually went up and asked that green ninja to escort her. What's his name?"

"Kaze?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, I heard that Takumi finally found the courage to ask Orochi."

"What!? Those two!? Weird that the royalty is branching out like this."

"Seriously, and did you hear about…"

Corrin tuned out the gossiping as he noticed Silas riding up to his side. "Hey, Corrin!" he greeted.

Corrin let out a yawn before replying. "Morning, Silas."

"You're tired too, huh? Can't blame you, it was an early start after all."

"Yeah," Corrin sighed. "But the sooner we get to Cyrkensia, the better. I just want a few months to unwind before we're back to war."

"True, but knowing our luck, Nohr will attack Cyrkensia while we're there." Silas laughed as Corrin groaned in response.

"Please don't say that, or else it'll actually happen… I'd rather walk through camp naked than have our leave interrupted."

"Well I'll make sure you keep your word: no invasion, Corrin runs around camp naked. Sound fair?" The knight gave Corrin a wry smirk.

"Not funny," Corrin said, trying to suppress his grin. For a split second, he actually thought about what would happen if he did that. But only for a split second; imagining everyone's reactions in his mind made him shake his head and cringe. "Definitely not happening."

Silas guffawed upon seeing Corrin's face. "You were thinking about it, weren't you?" the knight exclaimed in between his bouts of laughter.

Corrin, now more alert, became flustered. "N-no, I wasn't… I… was… Just shut up!" The prince was still too tired to formulate a coherent comeback. If this was how the day was going to start, he didn't want to know how it would end.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop." Silas let out one more laugh.

Before either of them could say anything else, Corrin's ears picked up on the rumors again. There were too many at once for either Corrin or Silas to keep track of. They both gave up trying to listen in on these conversations with a sigh.

"I guess everyone really _is_ finding someone to go with them to the wedding, huh?" Corrin commented, a look of defeat on his face. The prince added in with another sigh, "…That is, everyone except us."

"Yeah. No kidding… Well, guess we'll just have to enjoy all the food and drink there for everyone else, huh?" Silas nudged his friend, trying to perk him up. "Think about it, no escort or date to hold us back. We can just have fun, you know?"

"To an extent," Corrin added in, a ghost of smile appearing on his face.

"To an extent," Silas confirmed. "But still, it should be fun. And after the wedding, we can go on that trip! How about it?"

This piqued Corrin's interest. He smiled fully. "That would be great, Silas! By the way, did you draw up that list?"

"Um… about that…" Silas rubbed the back of his neck before reaching into one of Avon's saddle pouches. He produced a thick, rolled up scroll of parchment and handed it to Corrin. It fell into Corrin's hands heavily, showing just how lengthy this list was. "I started writing down all the places I could remember you wanting to visit."

"Goodness! That's… a long list…" Corrin said, his eyes widening. He unrolled a portion of the scroll, seeing what places he so badly wanted to visit when he was younger. Written on it were parts of towns, vague descriptions of nature, and something about… a giant, human bunny? "There aren't really 'places' as such, are they?" Corrin commented with a chuckle.

"Well, that's how I remember it. Guess it got a little out of hand, huh?" Silas admitted, matching Corrin with a laugh of his own.

"Yeah… But, I'll defer to your memory." Corrin handed the scroll back to Silas. "It's hard to decide on one, though."

"Take your time," the knight responded with his trademark smile as he put the scroll back in his steed's pouch. "And you don't need to limit yourself to one place, you know. We'll have plenty of time to take these trips in Cyrkensia."

"Right. It really is good of you to do all this for me, Silas," Corrin thanked the knight.

"Of course. Now then, I think a certain wyvern rider wants to talk to you." Silas pointed towards the sky, a confused Corrin following the knight's finger with his gaze. In the sky, Corrin noticed Scarlet and her wyvern, Crimson, flying in circles.

"You know, it's not too late to find someone to go to the wedding with," the knight told Corrin with a sly smile.

"I told you it's not like that!" Corrin retaliated. He calmed himself before saying, "I should probably see what she wants. You go and bug Hinata or Jakob or something."

Silas laughed. "I think I'll go speak with your sister. She wanted to talk to me about something."

Corrin raised his eyebrow upon hearing this. "My sister? Don't tell me…"

"It's about tactics, Corrin!" Silas exclaimed before Corrin could finish his sentence. "That's all it is, I promise."

"Right." Corrin dragged the sole word out. He smirked. "Well I wouldn't keep my sister waiting. We'll talk later, Silas."

"Sounds good. Until then, Corrin!"

With that, the Nohrian knight began falling back into the ranks until he reached the grounded pegasi. Corrin could see both his sister and Silas striking up an animated conversation; they appeared to be having a pleasant talk, which led Corrin to believe that Silas wasn't telling him the whole truth.

"Just tactics. Right." Corrin shook his head.

He turned his focus back to Scarlet. As he watched the wyvern rider gracefully circle around in the sky, he couldn't help but stare. Wind flew through her short hair and caused the ribbons she had on her riding outfit to dance. A genuine smile was splayed across her face as she enjoyed her flight. Her eyes were closed as she simply lost herself in the air as she waited on Corrin.

A dumb smile rose to Corrin's face. He couldn't stop watching her, and the more he did, the warmer the fire growing inside him felt. Yet this time, he couldn't attribute it to frustration or anger, but something else completely different.

* * *

 **A/N:**

" **Corrin and Silas attained support level B!"**

 **And progress in Corrin and Scarlet's relationship, of course. And Sakura and Kaze's… Ryoma and Azura's… Takumi and Orochi… Oh, and we'll see what happens with Silas and Hinoka. Ah, pairings are fun.**

 **Sorry for not being on here for a while guys, but I had to take a step back from writing due to senior thesis in college. But my rough draft is turned in, so that has freed up a lot of my time. Plus, I felt I needed to take a break from creative writing anyway, just so I could have a chance to be able to come back to my writing and look at how I could improve it myself, along with my beta's hope of course.**

 **Thanks for reading, y'all. So now that we're finally moving to Cyrkensia, I can start getting into the nitty gritty of it all, which will be amazingly fun.**

 **As always, and a much needed, long awaited shout out, thanks, TheRepeat. Sorry this chapter was a handful. Hopefully I can come back and fully understand/fix my mistakes now.**

 **If you liked this update, y'all, please let me know with a review, or a critique if you found something that can be improved upon. Also, don't forget to follow and/or favorite for future chapters. Finally, thank you for reading and sticking with my inconsistent updates!**

 **Peace,**

 **nickdaman6**


	7. Chapter 7

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thanks!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Welcome to Cyrkensia**

With days of marching behind them, the Hoshidan convoy was relieved to finally find itself overlooking the grand port city of Cyrkensia. The setting sun lay on the horizon of the sea, creating a dazzling reflection upon the water that could be seen for miles. Even the city itself seemed to gleam in the sunlight; its many white buildings shone as the rays hit them from the west. In the center of Cyrkensia stood the city's crown jewel: the Opera House. Every waterway winding through the city seemed to congregate there. From outside the city, Corrin swore he could hear music radiating from the distant building.

The Hoshidans did not reach the outskirts of the city until nightfall. From there, Cyrkensian guards escorted them to the city's palace, where the government of Nestra ruled. The king and his council graciously accepted the Hoshidans, eager to meet with Prince Ryoma, famous in the Cyrkensian court for pushing back Nohr from Nestra's border; despite the Nestran stance of neutrality in the war, they were none too pleased to see their lands encroached upon by the Nohrian war machine.

The army was quickly escorted to the finest hotels along the city's coastline. As a token of appreciation for pushing back the Nohrians, the Hoshidans' stay at said hotels was paid in full by the Nestran government.

It wasn't until Corrin opened the door to his suite did he realize how incredibly fortunate they were. His jaw dropped, as did his few belongings that he brought with him.

In the bright moonlight filtering in, Corrin took in his majestic room. A king-sized bed dominated much of the room, a veil gently hanging from its four posts; a love couch and a pair of sitting room chairs facing opposite the fireplace; and the windowed doors on the opposite side of the room opened to a patio leading to the beach. Corrin made an excited mental note to explore that path later, grateful for having received a first-floor room.

After Corrin finished soaking his new room in, he picked up his bag and threw it at the foot of his bed. Taking a seat on the edge of the bed – eyes still wandering – he removed his armor in practiced motions. Once he had finished, he stretched his arms into the air – accompanied with a loud yawn – and fell back onto the bed, a goofy smile splayed on his face.

With a grin still etched on his face, he snuggled up to his pillows and buried himself in his sheets. After having closed his eyes for only a few seconds, the prince fell into one of the best sleeps he had had in a while.

This stay was definitely going to beat out the constant fighting, camping, garrisons, and, above all else, those wretched cots.

* * *

 _Knock, knock._

A relentless banging on Corrin's door disturbed the prince's deep sleep. He groaned, reluctant to open his eyes, and tried to bury himself deeper into his bed's covers.

 _Knock, knock._

The banging continued without any sign of stopping. Corrin eventually reached for one of his pillows and threw it at the door, groaning even louder as he did so.

"I'm still sleeping…" he mumbled in his half-awake, half-asleep state.

For a moment, the knocking stopped. Corrin smiled smugly to himself before returning to his sleep. Yet, before he could even fully lose himself, he heard his door burst open with a solid thud.

"Hey, Corrin! Time to get your princeling butt outta bed!"

Corrin finally sat up in his bed, though very slowly. A bit of drool clung to his cheek, and his hair was a complete mess. Through blurry eyes, he squinted to find out who had just become his newest enemy.

Standing in the doorway, his leg still coming down from kicking the door open, was Hinata. He wore a smile and carried a victorious stance. He strode in, two other figures following behind him.

"Must you awaken milord in such a manner, Hinata?" Jakob questioned as he examined the door. The butler sighed and shook his head. "This door is almost off its hinges after your 'wake-up call', as you put it."

"Hey, you were all for this too, Jakob," the third and final figure, Silas, commented as he entered Corrin's room.

"Yes, but I would have asked Felicia to assist us if we couldn't wake Corrin. Alas, it seems more barbaric methods had to be utilized."

"Huh? Barbaric? If you're callin' me barbaric, then we're gonna have to have a talk about your King Garon, Jakob."

The whole while, the prince just watched the conversation between his friends, wondering if he could sneak back into his slumber. However, the samurai wasn't about to let that happen.

"Alright, Corrin, like I said, time to get outta bed!"

Hinata threw the covers off of Corrin, exposing him to the chilly morning breeze that blew throw his open doors.

"Ah! Hinata, what the hell!?" Corrin hugged himself with his arms, trying to shield his body from the cold.

Even though they were in a southern port city, fall was nearing its end and winter was almost here. Along with the ocean current, the city's climate was starting to cool rapidly.

"Oh come on, Corrin. It's not that cold! Now let's go, outta bed, we have a lot on our plate today."

Corrin finally sat at the edge of his bed. His bare feet touched the wooden flooring before he quickly retracted them. It took the prince a couple more tries, but eventually he was able to place his feet on the freezing floor. With a sigh, he finally stood up from his bed.

Corrin stretched his drowsy muscles. "What do you mean 'we have a lot on our plate today'?" he asked.

"Well, first we have to hit the town. After all, we are on vacation! Need to see what trouble we can get into while we're here!" Hinata laughed cheerfully.

"I advise that we do _not_ get into any sorts of trouble, Hinata." Jakob stared Hinata down while the samurai turned to the butler nonchalantly. "After all, we do not wish to sully Hoshido's reputation with Cyrkensia, do we?"

"Relax there, Jakob! It's just a figure of speech."

"With you, I am not so certain…"

Silas took this as his chance to speak. "Besides that, Corrin: we need to get started on that list. We may have a few months on our hands, but I want to get started on it as soon as we can."

The prince instantly perked up. His eyes shone, and he quickly began readying himself for the day. "Yeah, you're right! We need to hurry!" Scrounging through his sole bag, he produced a brush that he used to tame his wild hair. He then found a mirror to aid him in this task.

"That's the spirit, Corrin!" Hinata cheered. "Now, where should we begin? The beach? The city?" The samurai's stomach growled at this moment, catching everyone's eye. He bashfully rubbed the back of his head. "Though I guess some breakfast first couldn't hurt, huh?"

"True," Silas chimed with a chuckle. "So Corrin, get your stuff on and let's… go…?"

The knight finished his sentence slowly as everyone's attention turned back to Corrin. He was putting on his armor pieces, hopping on one leg as he tried to clasp a metal legging around the other. Already, half of his armor was on.

The silence caused Corrin to turn his attention to everyone. "What?" he asked as he noticed their staring.

"Um… Why are you putting your armor on?" Silas asked.

"Huh?"

"Your armor," the knight repeated with a grin.

It was at this point in time that Corrin noticed everyone in the room was wearing casual clothing – save Jakob, who was still in his butler's uniform.

Silas wore a white, buttoned down shirt with black trousers and leather riding boots.

Hinata, on the other hand, discarded his armor pieces and katana, wearing his tunic, pants to match, and a pair of sandals. It was actually the first time that Corrin had seen either of the swordsman in such casual clothing.

This was also when he realized that he forgot to pack any casual clothing of his own. The only thing he had that came close was his black clothing he wore under his armor.

"Uh oh…" Corrin spoke lamely, realizing his blunder. "I, um… I might have forgotten to pack a spare outfit."

"Seriously?" Hinata asked with a laugh. "Oh man, you're in trouble then."

"Tell me about it," Corrin chided, kicking himself. "How could I forget my own clothes!?"

"Well, milord, perhaps not all is lost," Jakob commented.

The prince turned his attention solely to the butler, and raised his eyebrow questioningly. "What do you mean, Jakob?"

"Well, since Azura and Ryoma's wedding is approaching, I thought it would behoove us to all purchase new clothing for the event. During that time, Corrin can find some casual clothing to wear while we are here."

"Wait… So you mean…?" Hinata asked slowly, a sense of dread washing over his body.

A smirk came to Jakob's face as he directed his next sentence to everyone in the room. "Yes, we should visit a tailor posthaste."

* * *

After a full breakfast at the hotel, the group immediately went to ask the manager of the establishment where they could find a tailor in Cyrkensia. The manager directed them to a small shop near the Opera House; he explained that it may not have been the fanciest of tailors, but the charm and design of the shop's creations were of "top quality". This assurance seemed to satisfy the group.

Following the instructions from the manager – and after losing their way a few times due to Hinata's horrible sense of the direction – the group made it to the tailor.

As the manager had said, the tailor was relatively small compared to all of the other shops and buildings surrounding it. It seemed like it was just a hole in the wall, somewhere of little significance. But as the Hoshidans walked in through the door, they were astounded by the numerous designs and clothing proudly displayed in the shop.

They were all carefully created and cared for, none seeming to lack in quality. Even though each piece of clothing was intricately different, none of them appeared entirely similar or horrid, meant to accentuate different aspects of the wearer.

While most of the group stared in awe at the tailored clothes, Jakob approached the man he assumed to be in charge of the shop. Slowly, the rest of the group tailed behind him.

"Excuse me, sir?" Jakob enquired, taking the man away from examining one of his works.

The shopkeeper was a tired, old man from appearance, but the smile he wore betrayed his jovial self. "Yes, gentlemen? How may I help you on this fine day?" the tailor enquired with a soft, albeit cheerful voice.

"We were wondering if we could get measured for suits for a wedding," Jakob asked politely.

"Wedding? Ah, you must be with the Hoshidans. Welcome, welcome." The tailor clasped his hands together excitedly. "It's a pleasure to serve those who have pushed Nohr away from our border. They have been quite horrid as of late whenever that King Garon comes into town, demanding clothing from me at half price. How ludicrous!"

"How do you know about our group?" Corrin intoned.

"Oh, well the whole city knows about the brave Hoshidan army who saved us from an impending invasion, I'm sure. Well, that, and other members of the Hoshidan army just came in ahead of you."

"Ah, makes sense." Silas shrugged, accepting the tailor's answer. "If you don't mind me asking, who else is here?"

"I'm not entirely sure on their names, but they are currently being helped by my wife at the moment. Although one of them had red hair and seemed almost completely against the idea of a dress." The tailor chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, that's my sister," Corrin said, laughing at the thought of her wearing a dress. Hinata and Silas joined in.

"And I believe she was accompanied by a younger woman with pink hair, and… another woman, about her age, with blonde hair," the tailor finished.

The mention of the woman with blonde hair caught Corrin's attention.

"Um, sir, did that last woman have _short_ blonde hair?"

"Yes, I believe she did. Held back by a black bow?"

Corrin's head spun. "So, she's in there right now? Trying on dresses with my sisters?"

"Hm, I'd assume so, yes," the tailor said brightly.

Instantly, a light blush rose to Corrin's face. The prince could handle the thought of his older sister trying on dresses; he could even laugh at it. Yet, knowing that Scarlet was in there doing the same caused the prince's face to become inexplicably flushed.

It was at this moment that Silas, a sly smirk on his face, nudged Corrin. "What a coincidence, huh?"

"Sh-shut up!" Corrin exclaimed, his blush deepening.

"Hey, Corrin, why're your cheeks so red?" Hinata wondered cluelessly.

Silas chuckled. "I'll tell you later, Hinata. Let's just go get measured for our suits before Corrin's cheeks set fire to the place."

"I agree," Jakob commented. He then cleared his throat to regain the tailor's attention. "Returning to the matter at hand: would it be possible for you to measure us for suitable clothing for the upcoming wedding?"

The tailor eagerly nodded his head. "Why of course! Forgive me for changing the subject. Please, if you would follow me."

The tailor gestured for the group to follow him to the back of the store. Corrin trailed behind, cheeks still colored a light red; Scarlet was trying on dresses just one room down…

In the back of his mind, he thought about how divinely hilarious it would be if, at the exact moment he made to leave, he would see Scarlet in her dress.

But such coincidences only happened in stories and plays, not in everyday life. Right?

* * *

After about an hour of measurements, the tailor brought in some suits for the group to try on, as well as some casual clothing for Corrin.

They took turns examining themselves in the mirror just outside the fitting room:

Jakob went first, examining his clothing with a discerning eye. After what felt like an eternity to the others, the butler returned to the room to change back into his other clothes… which, in all honesty, were not much different from the clothing selected for him by the tailor. A vest with a long coattail was the only distinguishable difference between the two sets of clothing. Jakob assured the others that there was more to it than just that, but no one could pick up on what the butler saw.

Next was Hinata, who had been complaining about wearing the "damned monkey suit" as he pried at the collar he claimed was choking him. He wasn't outside for longer than a moment before coming back in and declaring how much he hated the suit, and threatened to tear it clean off. Upon hearing Hinata's threat, Jakob swiftly took the samurai by the arm and led him outside the fitting room. Corrin and Silas didn't hear the words that were said, but when Hinata returned, he reluctantly seemed to accept his fate.

Really, the samurai didn't look half bad in his suit. It was black, simple, and the prime example of tuxes for men. Yet he still complained about how it wasn't a kimono.

"Why do we have to wear these suits?" he continued to complain. "After all, it's a _Hoshidan_ wedding! Shouldn't we be wearing kimonos and the like instead of these constricting… things!?"

"We do not have the time nor resources to spend on such a wedding at the moment," Jakob lectured. "If we were to import the number of kimonos and other necessities for a Hoshidan wedding, then our army would be in debt to its own country and Cyrkensia. An odd conundrum that neither Lord Ryoma needs nor wants. So, look pretty and accept it for what it is."

Hinata sighed forlornly, losing all hope. Jakob also sighed, rubbing the space between his eyes before saying something to lighten the samurai's spirit.

"You may tear it apart with your katana afterwards, Hinata," the butler settled, willing to say anything to stop Hinata's pouting.

The samurai visibly brightened at the prospect, and by the time he had finished changing, he had a bit of hop to his step.

Silas followed suit after Hinata. He stayed out in front of the mirror examining himself for quite some time. In fact, Corrin could have sworn he heard Silas talking to someone on the other side, who assumed to be the tailor.

Not much longer after the voices quieted did the knight come back into the fitting room. His eyes stared vacantly into space, until Corrin received his attention.

"Hey! Silas, you there?"

"What…? Oh, yeah, the suit looks fine," Silas finished lamely as he undid the bow tie holding up the white collar of his undershirt. "Just fine…"

"Okay…" Corrin said slowly. "Guess it's my turn. Hope you were right about this, Jakob."

"Of course, milord. I would only allow you to wear the most fashionable and reasonable of clothing to your brother's wedding."

"I know you would, but I still think I should see how I look," Corrin responded with a smile of his own as he opened the door to leave the fitting room.

The prince began to approach the mirror. But, as he turned his attention from the fitting room to the rest of the shop, he noticed someone else across from him trying on a dress.

It took Corrin about half a second to recognize the short blonde-haired woman as Scarlet.

The prince stood completely still. His eyes unconsciously wandered up and down Scarlet's back, red rising to his cheeks once again as he did so. Corrin tried to take his eyes off of the wyvern rider, but it seemed they were securely fixed.

The dress, Corrin had to admit, suited her well. It was entirely red, but less flashy and more subtle in its color, like it was made to stand out yet blend in at the same time. It flowed down her frame – something the young prince was now noticing for the first time – to her ankles. While simultaneously making Scarlet stand out and fade into the crowd, the dress also hugged her body quite nicely while also covering it, leaving little and everything to the imagination all at once. The dress was one of contradictions, something that suited Scarlet even if she was straightforward. Just another contradiction to add to the list, Corrin realized.

For a few more seconds he watched her sway and move in her dress. The movements hypnotized Corrin

But the prince watched for a little too long, as Scarlet noticed the reflection of the staring prince in the mirror.

She turned towards Corrin quickly, cheeks matching her name. "C-Corrin! What are you doing here!?"

The words snapped the prince out of his reverie and caused his own cheeks to turn red as he realized what he was doing. "I-I was, um… That is to say…" Corrin began backing up, trying to escape from the situation before it became any more awkward than it already was. That was when he tripped on the coattail of the suit Jakob had so graciously picked out for him.

He fell onto his back, colliding forcefully with the floor. The back of his head met with wood, immediately giving Corrin a nasty bump. After his head stopped spinning, the prince sat up with a groan.

 _Dammit, Jakob… I knew a coattail was a bad idea_ , Corrin thought as he rubbed the back of his head.

The prince heard hurried footsteps that stopped as they came up to him. He looked up to see Scarlet standing in front of him now. She was still in her dress.

"Corrin! You okay?" she asked, concern in her voice even in spite of the situation

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tripped is all." Corrin smiled uneasily. He couldn't help staring at Scarlet, so the prince quickly shifted his eyes to the floor to avoid any more awkwardness. "Yup, just tripped…"

Scarlet rolled her eyes before extending a hand to Corrin. "Here, let me help you up."

Corrin lifted his head up to the wyvern rider. He gratefully took her hand.

After helping Corrin up, Scarlet hurriedly released Corrin's hand. A silence fell between them as they both searched for words. They felt the need to say something – or at least Corrin did – but nothing came to mind. So, the prince nervously rubbed the back of his neck as a part of him tried to find a way to end this uncomfortable silence, while the other hoped Scarlet would speak first.

Sighing, Corrin resigned himself to the thought that she would do no such thing. "Well… I should get back to trying on clothes, so I'll, um… see you around?" Corrin finished lamely, only receiving a stiff nod from Scarlet.

The prince turned to leave, but as he opened the door to the fitting room, he heard Scarlet say, "Wait."

Corrin turned around to see that Scarlet hadn't moved. He walked back to her before asking, "What is it?"

For a moment, Scarlet fell back into silence. She chewed on her lip, trying to find a way to ask Corrin her question without it sounding… weird.

After the silence stretched on far longer than either would have liked, Corrin spoke up.

"Uh, Scarlet…?"

"HowdoIlook!?"

The words came out so fast that Corrin swore she only said one, foreign word, and he didn't understand it. Scarlet quickly covered her mouth, her cheeks turning completely red yet again.

"What…?" Corrin asked.

The wyvern rider lowered her hands and stared at the ground. She took in a deep breath and repeated her question:

"How… how do I look?"

This time, it came out clearly and slowly.

The prince stared blankly back at Scarlet, not knowing exactly how to answer her question. He contemplated the answer for a few moments, the wyvern rider's cheeks only growing redder as time dragged on.

Corrin didn't know what she wanted him to say, so he decided to speak from the heart.

"You look… amazing, Scarlet. The dress fits you." Corrin settled on these words, so as to not fully betray what he thought of her in the dress.

Scarlet's head snapped back up. A sheepish smile came to her face and she rubbed the back of her head bashfully. "Aw, you're just saying that, right? After all, I'm wearing a dress."

"No, I really do think you wear that dress well." Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable by staring at you." The prince shook his head gently.

Scarlet chuckled in response. "It's alright. 'Sides, I think I should take that as a compliment, you know?" She started backing up towards her own fitting room. "Just watch where those eyes linger, princeling. Might give people the wrong idea."

"Yeah, right…" Corrin's own cheeks were beginning to turn red now.

"Well, I better be getting back to your sisters. Sakura really wants to know what I think about the dress." Scarlet reached to open the door to the fitting room. "And Corrin?"

"Hm?"

"You… you don't look so bad yourself," the wyvern rider confessed, before disappearing behind the door.

The prince stood in place for a little bit longer before making his way to his own fitting room. A smile, as well as the remnants of his reddened cheeks, now highlighted his face. Thoughts were bouncing off the walls of his head at incredible speed, making it hard for Corrin to focus on any of them. So, for the moment, he just settled on the unreasonable happiness he felt about the encounter he had with Scarlet. That, and that small fire in his chest, back again for reasons unknown.

Regardless, as he opened the door to the fitting room, the first words that came out of his mouth were, "Jakob, we need to talk about this coattail."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **So I know until the end, this basically seemed like filler stuff, but trust me it needed to be put in there. After all, need to have set up for the wedding, which I planned for Cyrkensia anyway. Y'all will have that to look forward to in the next chapter.**

 **And… I think that's all I have to say? Not a very eventful A/N either, hm…**

 **Thanks for reading, y'all! Next chapter will be the wedding so keep up with this fic because will start getting interesting during and after the next chapter, I promise this time!**

 **As always, thanks to my beta TheRepeat for putting up with my meh first drafts and helping me work through them.**

 **If y'all liked this chapter, please let me know with a review or critique. Would love to hear what y'all said think about this fic. Also, if you wanna keep up with Corrin/Scarlet pairing, don't forget to follow and/or favorite. And thank you for sticking with me so far y'all!**

 **Peace,**

 **nickdaman6**


	8. Chapter 8

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thanks!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: The Royal Wedding**

The sun rose and fell a dozen times, each day bringing the mild fall closer to an end and the chilling winter ever nearer. Nearly a fortnight after the company of Hoshidans arrived in Cyrkensia, the snowfall finally began.

It was a cold night, just enough so for it to start snowing. The moon was full and bright in the sky as it peeked intermittently from behind the clouds. The snow began to fall when those dark clouds covered the sky once again.

Corrin was used to the chilly weather thanks to his previous life spent at the Northern Fortress, but as he stared outside the window a chill crept up his spine. His attention quickly turned away from the snow, hoping to warm himself up by returning to the celebration. In front of the prince, Hoshidans and members of the Cyrkensian government were celebrating the newly wedded Ryoma and Azura with gusto. He wasn't paying attention to the celebration, however; he was instead reminiscing about the recent wedding.

The royal wedding had been rather elegant, just as Azura and Sakura planned it to be. However, it had lacked most of the usual Hoshidan décor and tradition. With help from wedding planners, the pair had been able to craft a simple-yet-spectacular Cyrkensian wedding. Everyone who joined Ryoma and Azura on the trek to Cyrkensia, plus some Cyrkensians, had been packed into the church where the ceremony took place. Ryoma, in a tux very similar to Corrin's, had stood proudly by the altar; there he waited for his bride-to-be along with the priest and his entourage of Takumi, Corrin, and Saizo. The former two had smiled encouragingly, the latter – mask still hiding the lower half of his face – had examined the surroundings for any hint of danger. The high prince had glanced towards Azura's entourage, as if to further reassure himself that the wedding was still happening; Hinoka, Sakura, and Kagero had smiled back the same as Ryoma's brothers.

On cue, to signal the entrance of the bride, the hired pianist began playing a traditional wedding tune. Corrin had immediately turned his attention to the church's giant oak doors. He had held his breath, patiently waiting for the bride to walk down the aisle. Then, he had let out a small gasp of awe, as the bride appeared. In walked Azura, wearing a simple white gown, her face partially covered by a matching white veil. Seeing her in that dress had caused Corrin's heart to skip a beat.

The prince let loose a deep sigh at the recent memory, still feeling a small pang of pain upon seeing his brother and Azura wed. He took a swig of his wine, finishing it off and setting it down on a nearby table.

Corrin saw how happy the pair was and how happy they made those around them. Everyone was mingling, dancing – or trying to dance – and enjoying the food, drink, and company the wedding offered.

Corrin smiled, realizing he couldn't help but be happy as well. Though, as he looked on at the throngs of people in the reception area, he couldn't find one person in particular.

Scarlet was nowhere to be seen.

This confused the prince: enough for him to search the reception area for the blonde wyvern rider.

As he made his way around the dance floor to the catering area to begin his search, he noticed the many familiar faces from the Hoshidan army.

On the dance floor, Corrin's friends were dancing with a partner of their choosing. Hana and Subaki were, of course, perfectly in step with the beat of the music. Corrin expected nothing less from the perfectionistic couple, and rolled his eyes as the sky knight dipped his wife.

Also dancing together was Hayato and Mozu, Azama and Setsuna – with the archer tripping up every other step – and… Hinoka and Silas? Corrin took a double-take as he noticed his childhood friend dancing with his sister. Not for a moment did he think those two were together, though he had suspected _something_ was going on. He watched for a short moment, mouth open in disbelief, until he heard his name being called.

"Corrin, over here!"

The prince turned his attention to the voice, to notice that Hinata waving him over. Corrin flashed him a smile and walked to the samurai's table. He sat down, offhandedly noticing that he was the only single individual at the table. Hinata was accompanied by his wife, Oboro, while Sakura and Kaze sat together opposite the married couple.

"Lord Corrin, are you enjoying the wedding?" Kaze asked.

"Well, I'd say I'm enjoying the food more than anything, actually," the prince admitted, rubbing the back of his head bashfully. "Everyone else here has a date. Even Silas is dancing with Hinoka."

"Seriously!?" Sakura and Hinata exclaimed at the same time.

The stuffed food in the samurai's cheek made him look like a chipmunk. Oboro, annoyed at her husband for speaking with his mouth full, smacked him on the back of his head. The samurai got the hint immediately and swallowed his food before he continued. "Right, sorry Oboro! Anyway, seriously!?"

"Yeah," Corrin replied, chuckling and pointing his finger to the pair in question.

Both Sakura and Hinata turned their heads in the same direction, catching sight of the silver-haired knight and red headed Pegasus rider. For a moment, everyone at the table stared at the dancing duet, amazed that out of everyone in the Hoshidan army, those two were together.

"Wow, H-Hinoka didn't even tell me about her and Silas," Sakura admitted, while everyone turned back to each other. "And they look like they're dancing perfectly together. I wish I could be as g-graceful as Hinoka…"

The priestess laid her chin on her arms, appearing forlorn while tears prickled the edges of her eyes. Kaze placed a comforting hand on her back, receiving her attention.

"I wouldn't say that, milady. After all, we haven't tried dancing yet. In fact, I think this tune would be perfect to dance to, wouldn't you agree?" Kaze stood from his seat, extending his hand to Sakura. "Would you care to dance, milady?"

The priestess' cheeks immediately turned red, but she nodded as she took her date's hand. Kaze led her onto the dance floor.

Corrin, having watched the exchange, turned away from them as he heard a yelp of pain coming from Hinata.

"Ow! Hey! What're you doing with my hair!?"

Oboro was dragging her husband out of his seat by the hair. "We're going to dance, of course! Now come on, let's go!"

"You know I don't do that!" the samurai exclaimed in response.

"Yes, but _I_ do and _I'm_ your wife. So I say we're dancing!"

"Alright, alright, fine! Just stop yanking on my hair, Oboro!"

She let go, allowing Hinata to join his wife with dignity instead of being dragged. With a forlorn sigh, and one last glance to Corrin pleading for help – and receiving none – the samurai stepped onto the dance floor with his wife.

Corrin was left at the table alone, chuckling. Eventually, after watching the dancing pairs for a moment longer, he stood up from his seat and resumed his search for Scarlet.

As he examined the reception, he noticed several more of his companions and friends dancing, or enjoying the feast.

Repositioning himself, Corrin saw Hayato and Mozu dancing again. Well, more like Hayato was trying to avoid stepping on the farm girl's feet while she attempted to lead him in some semblance of a dance. The young diviner appeared completely embarrassed by his dancing skills – or lack thereof – while his date simply giggled, smiled, and continued in her attempts to lead Hayato through a simple dance.

For a split second Corrin imagined himself in Hayato's position, while picturing a certain wyvern rider as his partner.

The prince shook his head trying to get rid of those thoughts quickly. _Corrin, she's just a friend… You're just thinking like that because of the dress incident._

Once his head was cleared, Corrin continued searching for someone who might know where to find Scarlet.

It was then that he spotted Jakob and Felicia close by. They were accompanied by an older, heftier gentleman who appeared to be having his suit tailored by Jakob.

As Corrin walked closer to his oldest friends, he saw that the butler was indeed mending the older gentleman's coat. Felicia stood beside them with an uneasy smile as she held open a sewing kit for Jakob.

"I am so sorry for my companion's blatant disregard for her surroundings," the prince heard the butler apologize.

"Yes, I am so sorry, sir. It was my mistake!" Felicia bowed apologetically as she spoke.

"Stand still, Felicia! Lest you do anymore harm."

The young maid immediately stiffened at the butler's order, not moving a muscle.

"It is quite okay, but my! The handiwork you put into your tailoring, it is almost beyond compare!" The older gentleman examined Jakob's work with a curious squint. "Would you consider joining my staff as my personal tailor? It'd come with a considerable raise in pay."

"Thank you, sir, but I am pledged to milord, and no amount of money could change that," Jakob answered. As he put away his needle and thread, he noticed Corrin. "And there he is now!"

"Hello there, Jakob. Felicia." The young prince nodded to both of them. "What happened here?"

"Oh, just a little incident, Lord Corrin," Felicia answered with an uneasy chuckle. "Just an incident…"

"Incident? You nearly tore this poor man's arm off!" Jakob berated Felicia. "Be careful with your cutlery from now on, Felicia."

"Yes, Jakob!" she squeaked in response as the butler took the sewing kit from her.

"My apologies, sir," Corrin turned to the gentleman. "Felicia can be a bit clumsy at times, but she's a good person at heart."

"I'm sure, milord… Corrin, was it?"

The prince nodded.

"Ah, well, milord Corrin, it was still an entertaining experience, and I'm sure my suit looks much better now," the gentleman continued with a broad smile. "Thank you, to you both. Now I must bid you all farewell."

With that, the gentleman bowed politely and left to join the conglomeration of dancing Hoshidans and Cyrkensians.

"Well, now that that is dealt with: are you enjoying the festivities, Lord Corrin?" Jakob intoned.

"Of course, Jakob, or the food at least," the prince answered.

"Only the food?" Felicia's eyes widened in alarm. "You haven't danced with anyone yet!?"

"Um, well… You see…"

"Milord, that simply will not do." Jakob, it seemed, was about to lecture his lord. "After all, you are an eligible bachelor in his prime. Even if Lady Azura is no longer available for courting, there are plenty of other suitable women out there."

"Yes, but Jakob-"

Felicia cut Corrin off. "Yeah, Corrin! Like… how about Reina?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Felicia! Lady Reina is far too old for our lord to court."

"Oh, right… Well, how about Rinkah? She seems like Lord Corrin's type!"

"Only if Lord Corrin's type are women that could more easily snap his back than dance with him."

As Felicia and Jakob kept arguing over Corrin's possible suitors, the prince started to sneak away. Not like he could get a word in anyway.

Once he was in the clear, he let loose a breath he didn't know he had been holding in. He also realized that he still had no idea where to find Scarlet.

He continued searching the room for the wyvern rider, but wound up only walking around the dance floor in clueless circles.

The night dragged on, and the prince entertained thoughts about going to congratulate the newly-wed couple, but he was on a mission.

While he continued his search for Scarlet, a blur of red and white rushed passed him. Turning his focus to the blur, Corrin noticed it was Rinkah – who appeared to have overly indulged in the open bar. Slung over her shoulder was Kaden holding a bottle of wine.

Upon noticing Corrin, the kitsune waved at him and yelled, "Hey, Corrin! You humans throw a great party! Weeeee!"

That was the last Corrin saw of both Rinkah and Kaden as they disappeared out of the entrance of the building. The prince rolled his eyes and chuckled at his companions' antics.

Before resuming his search, he noticed a bit of blonde hair against the night sky overlooking the entrance balcony. It caused him to stop in his tracks. He stared at the figure, wondering if it was who he had been searching for all night long. The crowd of guests mingled around the prince, obscuring his vision of the lone woman on the balcony. Once he could see through the throng guests, Corrin finally noticed the dress she was wearing.

It was then he realized it was Scarlet.

The moonlight painted the outline of her figure, highlighting her against the background of the night sky. Her dress, the one she had tried on at the tailor, helped her blend in, but also stand out when one was looking her way. It was a dress of contradictions, just as Corrin had thought. Yet, as he watched her standing like a picturesque statue, one word floated through the prince's head that could describe what he was seeing.

Stunning.

Before Corrin knew it, his feet were carrying him towards her. He gulped, as small beads of sweat fell down the back of his neck. Even as he stepped out into the cold, early winter air, the prince still felt hot in his suit. He strode up next to Scarlet, leaning over the balcony.

She turned her head, her face visibly brightening upon seeing the prince. "Hey, Corrin!"

He remained silent, still staring at Scarlet and not too discreetly. Corrin's words were stuck in his throat. Eventually, he broke out of his reverie and simply settled on, "H-hey."

"Enjoying the wedding, princeling?" Scarlet asked with a smirk.

"Yes, well, mostly just the food," Corrin admitted.

The wyvern rider let out a short laugh. "Yeah, I can see that. Leave the dancing to the couples, right?"

"R-right."

 _Idiot, just talk to her like you normally do!_ Corrin yelled internally.

Again, another silence fell between the two. This time neither could find the words to say to each other. A few more moments passed before Corrin spoke up.

"So… why are you out here?"

"What?" Scarlet asked, being taken away from her thoughts.

"Why are you out here?" the prince repeated.

"Oh. Well, just needed some fresh air. That's all…"

"I see…"

Scarlet remained silent for a moment, biting her lip, thinking on her next words. "Corrin, we're friends, right?"

Corrin stared dumbfounded at the wyvern rider. "Well that's a stupid question. Of course we are."

"Hey, I'm trying to be serious here," Scarlet laughed, playfully shoving Corrin.

The young prince chuckled lightly. "Then don't start it off with a question like that. Makes it hard to take you seriously."

"Watch it, I can still shove you off this balcony," the wyvern rider threatened playfully.

"Okay, okay," Corrin conceded. "Yes, we are friends. Why do you ask?"

Again, another pause in the conversation. Before long, Scarlet sighed heavily and started speaking.

"Have you ever felt hurt seeing someone with someone else?" Scarlet waited for Corrin to respond before she kept going. Once he nodded, she continued. "Well, that's how I feel right now. Seeing Azura married to Ryoma. It… hurts, a bit. I don't know if you know this, but I had a small crush on him before he became engaged."

This revelation hit Corrin like a ton of bricks. He hadn't had the faintest idea. He was surprised to say the least, and a bit jealous after hearing that not only did Ryoma have Azura's love, he also had Scarlet's.

Yet, he also felt a connection with the wyvern rider.

Corrin had no idea what to say. Instead, he put his hand on Scarlet's shoulder. The comforting gesture caught the wyvern rider by surprise.

She turned her head to Corrin, who was smiling. It seemed sad in a way, but there was also meaning behind it.

"I know how you feel, Scarlet. It wasn't much of a secret, apparently, but I had feelings for Azura." Corrin shrugged. "We were close to each other, and I misread that for something more than it was. So, I understand. It's a horrible feeling to be broken-hearted, even if it is only by a crush. But I think, over time, we can eventually be happy for them. Not just wear a fake smile around them, but actually be happy."

The prince paused for a minute before finishing with a brighter smile, "The best part is, we're not alone in this."

Though Scarlet had known about Corrin's feelings about Azura, the last part of the prince's speech caught her off-guard. They could rely on one another. The wyvern rider smiled in turn, a few tears welling in the corner of her eyes.

"Ugh, so sappy there, Corrin." Scarlet rubbed her eyes with the heel of her wrist. She shoved the prince with her elbow. "Didn't know you could speak so eloquently."

Corrin laughed in response, nudging her back. "I have my moments. Didn't know you were so emotional."

"Well, let's keep that a secret between us, huh? Can't have everyone thinking I'm a crybaby."

"Right, gotta keep up that tough exterior?"

"Of course, otherwise people might actually talk to me!"

Both Corrin and Scarlet laughed, tears of mirth threatening to fall from their eyes. Once they settled down, the wyvern rider nestled her head on Corrin's shoulder, a smile still plastered on her face. The movement took the prince by surprise, causing his body to become rigid.

"Thanks, Corrin. I really needed that," Scarlet said.

"Y-yeah, of course," the prince stuttered in response. He was happy Scarlet couldn't see his face at that moment. If she could, she would admonish at how bright red it was.

For a few moments they stood silently in the light snow, watching it lazily fall to the ground. The cool air felt refreshing against their skin.

Slowly, the clouds began to part from the night sky, revealing a full moon. It shone luminously on the pair, lighting the balcony up as brightly as the flickering lights around them. As time dragged on, the atmosphere caused them to relax into each other.

"Corrin, there you are!"

The approaching voice caused Corrin and Scarlet to break away from each other. They turned to the newcomer, recognizing it as Ryoma almost immediately.

"Hello, Ryoma. What are you doing out here?" Corrin asked as his brother approached them.

"Azura wanted me to find you." Ryoma turned his attention to Scarlet for a brief moment. "Scarlet. How are you finding the reception?"

"It's a good time, Lord Ryoma. Just needed to step outside for a few moments," Scarlet said.

"Indeed. Cyrkensian clothing is well made, but equally stuffy." The prince tugged at the collar of his tuxedo.

"That it is, brother," Corrin replied with a smirk. "Why did Azura want you to find me?"

Ryoma's face became serious. "Come with me, Corrin. I think we need to talk. You don't mind if I borrow him for a moment, do you Scarlet?"

"N-no, Lord Ryoma," the wyvern rider replied to the unexpected question.

"Thank you, we won't be long." Ryoma returned to Corrin, nodding his head back to the reception building.

The younger prince followed his brother. They stopped at the door before either spoke.

"So, what is it Azura wanted you to tell me?" Corrin questioned.

"Well, I'm not quite sure how to put this, so I will say it bluntly," Ryoma began. "Corrin, Azura just informed me that you had feelings for her. Is this true?"

Corrin's eyes widened in surprise. "She told you that?"

Ryoma nodded his head.

"Why?"

The high prince of Hoshido sighed. "I'm not entirely sure myself, but I believe she thought I should talk to you about it. And I just want to say that I'm…" Before he finished his sentence, Ryoma did something that took Corrin by surprise. The high prince bowed to his younger brother. "I'm sorry."

It took Corrin a moment, but once the initial shock wore off, he quickly brought his brother out of his bow. "Sorry? Brother, what do you have to be sorry about? If anyone should be sorry, it should be me."

"No, I let my baser urges and emotions take premise over family," Ryoma admitted shamefully. "If I had known that you felt that way about her, I would have stepped aside without hesitation. And for that, I am sorry."

For a moment, Corrin thought on what his brother had just told him. He wondered if what he said was true. If Corrin had told Ryoma about his feelings, then could Azura be with him? Could the army have been celebrating the younger prince's and the songstress' wedding instead?

With a shake of his head, the young prince dashed those thoughts away.

"Brother, it is you Azura loves," Corrin started, releasing a deep breath. "Even if I had told you, and you did as you say, she would still love you. There is no changing that. Ours would be a one-sided love that would be sweet for a moment, but would eventually sour. So please, don't ever apologize for wedding Azura."

"But, Corrin…" Ryoma began.

"No buts, Ryoma. She deserves a man like you. Thank you for coming to talk to me about this, but I will be alright. I wish nothing but happiness for you both."

"I… understand. Thank you," Ryoma relented. "Are you sure you will be alright?"

As Corrin thought on question, he turned his gaze towards Scarlet. The wyvern rider's attention was away from the brothers, focusing instead on the Cyrkensian scenery. Corrin's face softened, and an unbidden smile crept on to it.

"Yeah, I think I'll be just fine."

Ryoma followed his brother's gaze. Once he realized what the young prince was staring at, the older prince smiled too. "I see now," he spoke cryptically.

"See what?" Corrin asked.

"Scarlet!" Ryoma called, ignoring his brother's question. The high prince approached the wyvern rider, the younger prince in tow.

"Ryoma, what are you doing?" Corrin questioned.

After the brothers reached Scarlet, Ryoma continued. "Have you been on the dance floor tonight as of yet?"

"Uh… n-no, Lord Ryoma," Scarlet answered, flustered.

"Well then, it would be remiss of me to not suggest that you do so. After all everyone here has danced at least once… save Corrin, I assume."

It was then that Corrin saw what Ryoma was doing. "Brother, I-"

"I thought as much. If you have no qualms, then I am sure Corrin would be happy to offer you a dance. Right, Corrin?"

"Um… no, he doesn't have to," Scarlet said, immediately searching for an escape from the situation. "Besides I'm not really that good of a dancer..."

"On his behalf, I insist!" Ryoma kept talking, as if Corrin wasn't there. The high prince grabbed both of their wrists and forced them to follow behind him as he rushed them back to the reception. "Besides, if I can dance, I'm sure you two can as well."

Before either Corrin or Scarlet could free themselves from Ryoma's iron-like grip, or voice their objection, they were thrust onto the dance floor.

Corrin wheeled around at Ryoma, who had retreated into the crowd of guests. "Ryoma!" The young prince only received a thumbs-up in response from his older brother.

At that moment both Corrin and Scarlet noticed they were the only ones on the dance floor. Everyone else had retired in between songs to eat, drink, or converse. Now, however, the crowd's attention was focused on the two newcomers. Any would-be dancing couples paused to watch as well. The band readied themselves, waiting for the pair to come together.

It was then that the pair realized they were stuck.

Corrin, turning towards Scarlet, took a deep breath. Then, he extended his hand towards the wyvern rider.

Scarlet noticed the hand immediately before catching his eyes with hers. Something stirred inside of Corrin's eyes, and Scarlet had no idea what it could have been. Whatever it was, it tugged at the wyvern rider, calming her deeply reddened cheeks and prompting her to slowly reach out her hand to meet Corrin's.

Once they were hand in hand, Corrin gently pulled Scarlet towards him, all the while maintaining eye contact.

"Just follow my lead," Corrin said.

"But… I'm not sure I know how to dance…" Scarlet responded.

"Don't worry. Follow me, and we'll make it."

The words, for whatever reason, allowed Scarlet to put her trust in Corrin. She nodded her head in response.

Corrin, taking this as her being ready, nodded towards the band's conductor.

The conductor bowed, turned to his band, and raised his baton. The rest of the band members readied their instruments in response. Within the next second, three things happened: the conductor's hand swiftly dropped, denoting the first beat of the song; the band's instruments came alive, playing the first note of the song; and the dancing pair's feet moved, taking the first step of the song.

It was a clumsy first step that they took, but they were kept on their feet by Corrin. For his part, the prince was able to make what could have been a disaster into an off-beat dance. However, he quickly found the beat again and managed to lead his dance partner into it. He silently thanked Jakob, who had profusely beat numerous courtly dances into the young prince's head.

Corrin and Scarlet's dance continued on. After a few misplaced steps on Corrin's foot – and some pained grunts from the young prince – Scarlet was able to follow him without further incident.

They circled the dance floor without much of a change in their moves, simply stepping to the beat. However, Corrin's ears twitched as he noticed a crescendo in the piece. It appeared they wouldn't be simply circling the floor any longer.

"Alright, I'm gonna need you to trust me," he whispered to Scarlet. "Be ready to jump."

"Wait, wha-" Scarlet began, but as she did the moment Corrin was waiting for arrived.

"Now!"

The young prince lifted the wyvern rider into the air with his hands, holding her there for only a second. As he did so, he spun in a half circle, then set her back down and quickly led her back into their previous dance.

The action was so quick that the surprised wyvern rider could barely register the move. What she _could_ register was the small applause they received. It was at that moment that the on-looking couples grabbed their partners, joining Corrin and Scarlet.

Once the chaos of the rushing dancers settled, the pair found themselves nestled in the middle of the dance floor.

"Next time a warning would be nice!" Scarlet chastised Corrin when they could hear each other.

The prince chuckled in response. "I gave you a little warning, didn't I?"

"I guess…" Scarlet mumbled, a smirk on her face. "But I can't really blame you for this, can I?"

"Nope, have to blame my brother. We'll get him back."

"Do you think that's smart? Trying to get back at the high prince of Hoshido?"

"Well, when the high prince of Hoshido is your brother, you get certain privileges."

The pair laughed as they continued dancing.

"Using your powers for evil now? You might really be Nohrian," Scarlet remarked playfully.

"They did rub off on me a little bit," Corrin replied just as playfully.

The music started slowing down, showing the song was ending. Corrin picked up on this quickly.

"The song's almost over," he commented as the pair slowed down to a gentle sway and moved closer to each other.

"Yeah," Scarlet replied.

"We can make a break for it now… if you want."

The wyvern rider thought on this for a second, before quietly saying, "W-we don't have to. I'm getting used to this dancing thing, I think I could go for one more."

Corrin, taken by surprise for a moment, smiled. "I think I can do that."

The prince shifted his view down to his dance partner, who met his gaze. They saw something in each other's eyes then, a sort of glow. Neither could say why they saw this light, but right now they had something else to focus on.

At this moment, the song ended, earning a small applause from the crowd of dancers. Some couples left the dance floor, while others stayed on for one more dance. The band transitioned into their next piece quickly.

The wyvern rider smiled as well. She grabbed Corrin's hand and said, "You lead, I'll follow."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Well here it is! The wedding, we finally made… I think I made y'all wait enough for it, but after some work and time, we've finally watched the first big milestone of this fic. Time to celebrate, right?**

 **But from here on in, the relationship between Corrin and Scarlet starts to develop further. However, there will be other parts of this story I will be focusing on, not gonna just ditch every other character's story!**

 **Thanks for sticking with me so far guys! Can't wait to see what comes next!**

 **As always, thanks to my beta TheRepeat for helping me write and edit this first big chapter.**

 **I hope y'all liked this chapter, please let me know with a review or critique. Always looking for what my readers think of this fic. Don't forget to follow and/or favorite, either!**

 **Peace,**

 **nickdaman6**


	9. Chapter 9

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thanks!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Hearth's-Eve**

"Okay! That's another thing off the list!"

Silas checked another item off the obscenely long list he carried. He and Corrin walked side-by-side down the snowy streets of Cyrkensia, examining the numerous stalls set up for Hearth's-Eve.

Hearth's-Eve: the day before Hearth's-Day, a local festival that celebrates home, family, and friends through feasts and gift-giving. Currently, people working the market stalls were selling food, extravagant and simple gifts, and Hearth's-Day decorations.

"Seriously?" Corrin said in disbelief. "I wanted to go to a marketplace? How boring was I as a child, really?"

Silas chuckled, while rubbing the back of his head. "Well, you did also say you wanted to see a forest. Though, I think we can safely cross that off of the list too."

"Yeah, I've fought in enough forests to last a lifetime…"

Corrin turned his attention to the ground, halting in his tracks as he did so. Silas turned to him and asked, "Corrin? Something wrong?"

The prince's white hair shadowed his eyes, making it impossible for his friend to read them.

"It's just… thanks, Silas. For doing this for me. Even though I forgot about you…"

"This again? Seriously, Corrin, how many times are you gonna beat the same horse with a riding crop." Silas walked up to Corrin and put his hand on the prince's shoulder. This caused Corrin's head snapped up to face his childhood friend. "I told you I already forgive you."

"Yes, for forgetting about you, but… I'm sorry about the other day," Corrin admitted.

"What, for what we found out?" Silas asked, as he scratched his head in confusion. Once Corrin nodded, the knight continued. "It was a long time ago, Corrin. No need to be sorry. Though I'll admit, the truth isn't what I expected…"

"No kidding," Corrin said with a self-deprecating chuckle. "I thought Jakob would have told us something different, but it was a little embarrassing to learn how much I cried after I couldn't see you."

"Yeah, but I can see why they tried to take your mind off of me, though," the knight replied bashfully. "I guess they simply did too good a job…"

"That's putting it mildly," the prince scoffed. "I suppose the feelings of one noble boy weren't a priority."

Silas laughed. "Next to the young prince? I'd have done the same thing in their shoes."

For a moment, Corrin stared blankly at his friend, before smiling and replying, "You have a big heart, Silas. Though I feel my offense in forgetting about you was worse than any of theirs…"

"To be honest," Silas began, smiling himself, "I'm actually relieved by what we learned."

"What? Why?"

"You cried every day because you weren't allowed to see me, right? Doesn't that prove I really was your closest friend?" Silas put his arm around Corrin's shoulder.

"Yes, I suppose so," the prince replied with a smirk.

The pair started walking again after Silas removed his arm from his friend's shoulders. "You should know that I have no regrets about taking you outside those walls. Nothing makes me happier than helping you in whatever way I can, and that includes taking you to see… what were we seeing that day?"

Corrin thought for a moment. "A bear that you spotted over the fortress wall, I think."

"A bear? No wonder they sent me away after that!"

Both Corrin and Silas shared a laugh, taking a short moment to calm themselves

Corrin took a breath. "Silas."

"Hm?"

"You're a better friend than I deserve," the prince said.

Silas smiled, and the pair continued walking forward.

"Well, now that the past is laid to rest, it's time to focus on the present!" Silas said excitedly, as he pointed to the sky.

It was at that moment that a pegasus flew overhead, racing throw the sky at a breakneck speed. Another pegasus trailed close behind; though flying steadily, it was much slower than its counterpart. Eventually, it disappeared past a row of buildings and was lost to Corrin and Silas.

"And there goes, Hinoka," Corrin said as he watched the pair of pegasi fly by. A sudden thought came into the prince's head then; he smirked mischievously. "You know, Silas, if we're going to focus on the present, I think you need to let me in on what's going on between you and my sister."

Silas's face flushed red, immediately betraying him, but he nevertheless kept his voice even. "I-I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh come on, it's been a week since the wedding and you haven't let me in on anything that happened between you and Hinoka that night." Corrin nudged his friend as they made their way from one stall to the next. "She's my sister after all; I have to make sure your intentions are pure too."

"On my honor as a knight, my intentions are pure!" Silas replied hotly.

Corrin stared at his friend, blinking a few times before smirking and victoriously exclaiming, "So there _is_ something going on between you two!"

It was then that the silver-haired knight realized his mistake. He searched for something to say in defense, but he soon gave up and sighed in defeat. "Fine. Yes, there is something going on between Lady Hinoka and me."

"I knew it! Well, I'm glad, Silas." Corrin slapped Silas' back in a friendly manner. "I couldn't ask for her to be interested in a better man!"

"Yes, well, thank you for your blessing," Silas said with a chuckle, "but I'm not even entirely sure what your sister and I have. I mean, she asked me to the wedding and we danced, but we haven't exactly talked much since then…"

"Hm, I see…" Corrin cupped his chin in thought. "Well, I may only be getting to know her now, but my sister can be quite reserved with her feelings. It runs in the family, honestly. Maybe she's… scared? Or maybe she's waiting for you to make the first move this time."

"That… is possible," Silas admitted. "But I wouldn't even be sure what to do."

"Well, you know, Hinoka's brother just happens to be your best friend. Maybe he can help?"

"Really? You'd do that?"

Corrin nodded his head. Once he did, Silas gave the prince a hug with all of his might.

"Thank you, thank you! I cannot tell you how much this means to me!" Silas was bouncing with excitement now. The friends released each other before moving on.

"Of course, Silas. What are friends for?" Corrin responded matter-of-factly.

"Indeed. But now you have to tell me what's going on between you and Scarlet." Silas winked slyly. "I've seen you sneaking off to go speak with her whenever she is close by."

It was Corrin's turn to go on the defensive now. He rubbed the back of his head as his cheeks turned a light shade of red. "Well… you see…"

Then, as Corrin turned his head away from Silas' questioning gaze, a nearby market stall caught his eye. Even though he had never seen the item being sold before in his life, he knew exactly what it was. Immediately, he rushed to the stand and purchased the item without a second thought.

 _Looks like I won't be spending tonight with just my brothers and sisters_ , Corrin thought as the merchant handed over his purchase in colorfully wrapped box.

* * *

Two pegasi flew through the sky. One soared effortlessly through the air, while the other glided slowly and uncertainly. As they approached Cyrkensia's sole military fortress, they began their descent.

They landed on the fortress' snowy training ground. The pegasi's wings buffeted the snow-covered ground with each flap.

Once they had landed, the riders dismounted their animals. One of the riders, Hinoka, jumped off of her mount with ease. Her riding partner, Scarlet, slowly unsaddled her borrowed mount.

"So, what do you think? Different from riding a wyvern?" Hinoka questioned, a small smile rising to her face.

"That's putting it mildly!" Scarlet answered, rubbing the back of her head. "It felt a lot more aerodynamic than a wyvern, so I had the balancing all messed up. Also, I think I kept accidentally hitting the poor thing's wings. Couldn't get my footing right at all."

Scarlet patted her pegasus lightly and apologized.

"Yeah, it takes a lot of time to tame and ride a pegasus, and even more time to master it. But if we keep riding, I'm sure you'll get it." Hinoka patted Scarlet on the shoulder, trying to reassure her.

"Probably, but… I think I'll stick with what I know for now. Though, I wouldn't mind taking another ride with you and Gatsuchi sometime. It would be great to look as graceful as you two do in the sky!"

The princess laughed. "That's the spirit! I knew there was something about you, Scarlet."

"Thanks, but before we ride pegasi again, you have to try riding a wyvern."

"What? Me, on a wyvern? I don't know how well that would work…"

"Oh come on, I rode a pegasus and nearly fell off at least once. It would be a fun experience!"

"Well… It would give me a chance to learn about Nohrian flying techniques…" The warrior princess thought for a moment before saying, "You know what? Sure, let's do it!"

"Yes!" Scarlet cheered. "Trust me, it's going to be a lot of fun!"

"I hope so! Just – don't let me fall!"

"No promises!"

Hinoka and Scarlet made for the stables, leading their mounts by the reins. Entering the stables, they went about tending to their mounts. As they did so, they made small talk to pass the time. Eventually, the recent wedding came up.

"I can't believe it's already been a week since the wedding," Hinoka said with a sigh. "I feel like this break from the war is going by quick. We'll be back on the battlefield before we know it."

"Yeah, no kidding. It's nice to have the break while we can. But on the subject of weddings…" Scarlet smirked coyly. "How'd your date with your knight in shining armor go?"

Hinoka put away Gatsuchi's saddle and began cleaning her steed before answering.

"It actually went well," the pegasus rider replied with a small smile. Small memories of the night in question flickered in her head, only making her smile bigger and giving her cheeks some color. "Really well."

"Seriously? Good for you, Hinoka!" Scarlet gave her friend a thumbs-up. "Although, if I'm being honest, I'm surprised it went as well as you said."

"Why do you say that?" There was a bit of offense in Hinoka's voice.

Scarlet, not picking up on her friend's tone, continued talking. "Well, for one, I thought you were gonna be a little too hard on poor Silas. I mean, after all, with him it's 'lady this' or 'lord that'."

"So what, you think I'd take advantage of him because of that?" Hinoka asked, a little irked by what the wyvern rider was suggesting.

"No, no!" Scarlet hurriedly replied, before saying aside, "This is why I barely talk to anyone." She turned her attention back to Hinoka. "What I meant was, I thought he'd be the type to look too much into the royalty thing, or be just a bit intimidated by it. I'm sure you'd treat him well."

"Oh… well, now that you mention it…" the pegasus rider paused in her brushing for a moment as she began pondering. "We haven't really talked much since that night. Do you think something went wrong? Do you think he really was intimidated? Oh no. Scarlet, what if he doesn't want to see me again after the wedding!?"

The princess' questions came out in a panicked rush. She covered her face with her gauntleted hands, examining her memories, and trying to understand what went wrong. Rather, what _she_ did wrong.

Scarlet walked to her friend and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her a bit. "Hinoka, Hinoka, calm down." She smiled when the warrior princess finally lifted her head out of her hands. "Wow, I didn't think you'd act this way about a guy. Doesn't seem like ya."

"It usually isn't; in fact, I've never felt this way about a man," Hinoka admitted. "But Silas, he treated me like a lady the entire night. Unlike every other man I know, he didn't even discuss war or fighting or anything like that. We just talked and danced and…" The pegasus rider trailed off as she recounted the events that took place.

"…and?" Scarlet questioned.

"And nothing! Nothing else!" Hinoka hurriedly answered, as unconvincingly as possible.

Scarlet, not buying the answer for a second, let it slide for the time being. "Right… Well, if everything went as you say it went, then I don't think Silas doesn't want to see you again. Maybe he just needs a kick in the butt to speak up or something? Have you tried talking to him?"

"Not really, I've been a little too… scared," Hinoka mumbled.

"Well, from what I can tell, I think everything's fine, but you two need to actually start talking and figure out where it goes from there," Scarlet told the princess, hoping her sagely advice would push Hinoka in the right direction.

"Yeah, you're right, Scarlet! Next chance I get, I'll talk to him." The pegasus rider was brimming with confidence now, eagerly anticipating the next time she'd see the Nohrian knight.

"Great, I'm happy for you, Hinoka! From what Corrin has told me, he seems like a great guy."

"He really is. And on the subject of Corrin…" Hinoka eyed Scarlet mischievously and smiled. "How are you and my little brother getting along?"

* * *

Later that night, snow fell gently to the earth as the citizens of Cyrkensia celebrated Hearth's-Eve. The city's Hoshidan guests gladly participated in the festivities, as many of them gathered alongside the Cyrkensians in the main city square to see the lighting of the Hearth Tree. Amongst them were the Hoshidan royalty, who enjoyed different aspects of the festival.

Sakura and Kaze stood in front of the decorated pine tree that was the Hearth Tree. They snuggled together in each other's arms to keep warm as they eagerly waited for the small candles hanging from the tree's limbs to be lit.

Takumi and Orochi watched the bystanders passing by as they enjoyed some of the seasonal Cyrkensian tea. Eventually, the diviner dragged her date to one of the many game booths set up for the Hearth's-Eve festival. It was an archery game that involved hitting one's target with a toy bow and arrow; suffice to say, Takumi won almost every prize there was to win.

Ryoma and Azura, the newlyweds, simply walked around, enjoying the sights and sounds of the foreign festivities. As everyone watched and greeted them, they all realized that the pair may have been a match made in heaven. Together they brought out qualities in the other that many had not known were there. They were opposites, but also the same: a perfect pair.

While his siblings enjoyed the festival with their partners, Corrin continued to talk with Silas. They walked around seemingly aimlessly as they talked; however, it was quite the opposite. Both friends had goals to complete tonight as they passed time with each other. Internally, they were actually hoping that by staying with the other, they would eventually come across the two people they had been searching for.

Silas, though appearing calm and focusing on Corrin, was nervous on the inside and offhandedly searching for a certain Hoshidan warrior princess. After his talk with Corrin earlier that day, Silas vowed to find Hinoka on this night and talk to her about what was happening between them. Though, he did feel ill-prepared, since he didn't have a gift to give the princess; the prince had one-upped him in that regard. He'd like to say it was because he simply forgot, but the fact of the matter was that he just didn't know what to get her. So, he hoped his words would be enough.

Corrin, meanwhile, was searching for Scarlet, whom he had talked with plenty since their dance at his brother's wedding. Although he wanted to talk to her and see her, the main reason the prince was searching for the blonde wyvern rider was to give her what he had in his hands. It was a small box wrapped in decorative, green wrapping paper and tied together with a red bow. He hoped that she would like his gift. After all, she had said that she needed it.

"I'm telling you, the wolfskin would easily be able to handle the kitsune toe to toe," Silas countered Corrin's previous point. "They're huge, plus they don't care about getting their fur a little dirty. I mean, have you seen Kaden in combat? He gets one bit of blood on his coat and he leaves the field to go clean it!"

"True," Corrin conceded. "But I believe you give the kitsune too little credit, Silas. Think about it: they are extremely agile and would most likely have numbers on their side against the wolfskin."

"And how would you know that?"

"Just a guess, honestly." Corrin laughed, with Silas joining him shortly after. "I mean, aren't foxes supposed to reproduce quickly? So, if kitsune are like foxes, then I think it's safe to say they would have numbers on their side."

"You mean rabbits," Silas corrected.

"Huh?"

"It's rabbits that reproduce quickly. You know how the saying goes, right?" Silas asked.

"Hmm… Can't say I do. What is it?"

The knight chuckled uncomfortably. "Um… y-you know what? Let's change the subject."

"…Okay?"

Silas shifted gears. "Alright, what if it was Nohr's Ice Tribe versus Hoshido's Fire Tribe?"

After a split second of thinking, both Corrin and Silas answered simultaneously, "Fire melts ice."

"Exactly!" Silas exclaimed.

The pair began laughing as they continued walking around the festival. "Okay, okay, next one!" Corrin stated. "How about… hm… hey Silas, do you have a good one?"

Corrin turned to the Nohrian knight to see that he was gone.

"Silas?" the prince questioned as he searched for his missing friend. After spinning around in circles looking for Silas, Corrin eventually found him standing still in the middle of a crowd.

He walked over to the knight and exclaimed, "There you are, Silas! Thought I lost you for a second." The knight didn't seem to acknowledge the young prince as he was too busy staring at off into the distance. "Silas? Hello?"

Corrin waved his hand in front of the knight's face, but received no response. Giving up, the prince followed Silas' line of sight. Almost instantly, he saw what his friend was staring at.

On the other side of the festival, with their backs turned to them, were the two women Corrin and Silas had been searching for all night. The young prince rolled his eyes when he realized his friend was staring directly at Hinoka. Grabbing Silas's arm, Corrin began leading them in the direction of Hinoka and Scarlet.

"Come on, let's go," Corrin said as he dragged Silas along. "You need to talk to her, Silas."

"W-wait, what? Corrin! Stop, I-I was going to talk to her eventually! I just needed another minute…" Silas tried in vain to struggle free from Corrin's grip.

"More like another hour. Come on, she's my sister. She won't bite." Corrin thought on it for a second. "Well, she won't, but Gatsuchi might."

"Gatsuchi?" Silas asked worriedly.

"Come on! Hey, Hinoka, Scarlet!"

Corrin waved at the pair as he neared them, gaining their attention. They smiled and waved back. A small shade of red came to Hinoka's face as she noticed Silas being strung along by her brother.

"How're you two doing tonight?" Corrin greeted as he came up to the two women.

Scarlet nodded. "Pretty good, I think. Just enjoying the night, right Hinoka?"

"Y-yeah. Enjoying the night," the pegasus rider repeated meekly. She rubbed her arm uncomfortably as she stared off to the side.

"That's good," Corrin answered, leading the conversation into a dead end.

Quickly, and deliberately, he nudged Silas with his elbow, hoping to prompt him into speaking.

"Oh, um…" the silver-haired knight rubbed the back of his head, trying to think of something to say. "Y-you look good tonight, Hinoka."

Hinoka, who was wearing a heavier, warmer version of her riding clothes, blushed even harder. "Thanks, Silas. You're looking… sharp, as well!"

Though Hinoka tried to sound surer of herself, both Corrin and Scarlet internally cringed at her use of the word 'sharp'. She had never used that word in that context before, and hopefully would never use it again.

"Thanks," Silas remarked, sounding more confident in himself. Corrin, coughing into his hand, got the knight's attention once more. "Huh? You know, Corrin, you should get that cough looked at. You've been doing that a lot lately."

The prince sighed, realizing he'd have to take the situation into his own hands. "Hey, Silas, didn't you want to talk to my sister about something?"

"I did?" the knight asked confusedly. It took him a moment, but Silas understood what his friend was saying. "Oh, yeah, I did. So, um… can we go for a walk, Hinoka?"

Silas held out his arm, falling back on Nohrian courting practices in hope that Hinoka would take it.

"S-sure," Hinoka answered simply, taking the knight's arm.

Silas breathed a visible sigh of relief as he led the warrior princess away from Corrin and Scarlet. The prince and the wyvern rider could see them talking as they walked away, but the words were drowned out by the crowd.

Once the pair had disappeared from site, Corrin and Scarlet turned to each other.

"Good thing you pushed him there, princeling," Scarlet began. "Otherwise, he prolly would've stayed frozen like that."

"I know. Silas is brave and good at heart, but sometimes he can be a little thickheaded," Corrin commented.

"Same with Hinoka."

"No doubt. You'd think by now they'd have realized they were meant for each other."

"Yeah, how could they be so oblivious?"

"You're telling me."

After Corrin spoke, the pair stared at each other for a moment before busting out laughing. It took them a minute, but eventually they calmed down.

"W-why do we keep doing that?" Scarlet asked in between gasps for breath.

"I don't know," Corrin remarked as he calmed down. He sighed happily before continuing. "Just kind of our thing now, isn't it?"

"Must be."

It was at that point that Scarlet noticed the small box Corrin was carrying.

"What's in the box there, Corrin?" The wyvern rider pointed to the item in question.

Corrin's attention turned to it as well. "Oh, this? Well it's just a little something, that I… um…" Again, the prince coughed into his free hand. "Here, it's for you." He smiled and handed Scarlet the small package. "Happy Hearth's-Day."

Scarlet took it hesitantly. "It's for me…? Corrin, you dog, you didn't have to get me anything!" Though surprised by the gesture, the smile shining on the wyvern rider's face showed that Corrin's thought counted. "What is it?"

"Well, unwrap it and find out," Corrin replied.

"Don't have to tell me twice!"

Without waiting any longer, Scarlet tore into her present. Once the wrapping and bow had been taken off, she opened the small box that was hidden under the trimming. Then, upon opening her present, she pulled out its contents, revealing a small bottle of a familiar white substance.

"So, that magic gunk you mentioned… is that it?" Corrin questioned hesitantly.

Scarlet stared at it for another moment, taken aback, before exclaiming, "It sure is! But how'd you know? And where'd you get some?"

Corrin chuckled at Scarlet's excitement before answering, "One of the stalls around here had some. I picked it up while I was out with Silas earlier today. When I saw it, I immediately thought of you…" The prince rubbed the back of his head, cheeks turning a slight red after he spoke.

"Thanks! But…" Scarlet's excitement immediately left her as she realized something. "I didn't get you anything in return…"

"That's okay, I didn't expect you to," Corrin admitted reassuringly. "I just wanted to get that for you since you ran out of some. Plus, I thought it would make you happy."

"It did! No worries there, but still…"

Suddenly an idea came to the wyvern rider's head. She grabbed Corrin's hand and began running in the direction of the hotel currently housing the Hoshidans. "Come on! I know what I can do for you!"

"S-Scarlet? Where are we going?" Corrin asked, surprised at being suddenly dragged along by the wyvern rider. _So this is how it feels_ , the prince thought offhandedly as the pair weaved their way through the throngs of people crowding the streets.

"You'll see," Scarlet looked back to Corrin with a beaming smile. "But first, we have to stop by your room to get your Yato."

Corrin blinked before smiling and allowing himself to be led along by Scarlet. Whatever had made the wyvern rider excited had made the prince equally so.

* * *

After grabbing Corrin's sword from his room, Scarlet led the confused prince to her room. There she sat him down by the fireplace and started a fire before going to retrieve a small bag from her traveling gear. When she returned, she sat across from Corrin on the floor and poured out the contents of her bag between them. Numerous precious and semi-precious stone fragments fell out of the bag; they formed a neat, dazzling pile next to Corrin's Yato. Scarlet opened the bottle of magic gunk and placed it next to the stones.

"So, since you were so nice to give me some magic gunk, how about a live demonstration as my Hearth's-Day present to you?" Scarlet looked to Corrin with a smile, happy with her quick gift idea. "I've got some rocks all set to go, and a weapon to put them on."

"That would be great, actually, but you don't have to," Corrin replied with a smile of his own.

"Nonsense. After all, I hear you're supposed to give gifts to the person you like on this day." The wyvern rider blushed, but continued grinning from ear to ear.

"Y-yeah, that is true," the prince commented lamely, rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks, Scarlet." He turned his attention to the pile of stones, and tried to change the subject. "Wow, there are so many tiny fragments here…"

"Amazing aren't they? They shine like tiny stars." For a moment, the blonde admired the glimmering shards as well. She was soon back to business, however: "Okay, first we have the weapon." She pointed to the Yato in between them before reaching into the bottle of magic gunk and taking some out with her fingers. Then, she rubbed some along the hilt of the blade. "Then we slather on some of that gunk. Once it's fully coated, we stick on a bunch of those shiny rocks." She reached for the pile and picked out a pair of ruby fragments. "The gal who taught me the technique called it _mosaic_. It's probably my favorite hobby." Scarlet went to setting stones of different size and color onto Yato's hilt.

"And you're doing this without a sketch or some sort of design?" Corrin asked in awe.

"Well, usually I do a sketch, but since this was sort of a last-minute thing, I'm just doing it by hand," Scarlet answered as she continued placing stones in a pattern on Corrin's weapon of choice. She lifted her head to Corrin for a brief moment, before returning to her design. "Plus, I have a pretty a good model for the design I'm thinking of."

"What do you mean?"

Scarlet chuckled. "Nothing, you'll see in a moment."

Time passed as Scarlet continued working on her gift for Corrin, while he simply watched in amazement as the design began to take shape. After about half an hour of watching and listening to the crackling fire, the mosaic started to form a picture.

"It's exquisite!" Corrin said, breaking the silence.

"Thanks! Almost done," Scarlet replied with a wink. "See, you have to be real patient… Place each rock slowly… Carefully… And you're done!"

Once she was finished, the wyvern rider raised her head from Yato, allowing Corrin to examine the mosaic more closely. Immediately, the prince recognized the design.

"This design… did you…!?" Corrin asked in disbelief.

"Yup! It's your face!" Scarlet confirmed the prince's suspicions.

"That's… a stunning likeness! You're very skilled to get it so lifelike."

Scarlet laughed. "Right? Came out pretty fine, if I do say so myself. Told you I had a good model! But… it's nice to hear someone else appreciate this too." The wyvern rider blushed heavily, smiling through the praise Corrin gave her.

The prince noticed this once he lifted his head up from the examining the design. He smiled. "Why, Scarlet… I didn't think you were the type to blush."

"I've surprised you once today already, so why not twice?" the wyvern rider jested, before turning to watch the snow outside of her room's window. "Wow, it's starting to really come down, huh?"

"Yeah," Corrin replied as he too focused his attention on the snow. "Mind if I have a seat on the couch? Don't know how much more my back can take."

"Of course, but… mind if I join you?"

"Um… s-sure."

The prince was surprised by Scarlet's question, but regardless, he stood up from the ground only to move to the couch behind him. A moment later, the wyvern rider sat down beside him.

The next few minutes passed by in awkward silence, neither knowing what to do next. They were stuck with their own thoughts, and quickly overthinking the situation.

 _What do I do now? Do we just sit here… or…?_ Corrin asked himself. _Do I… do something? Of all the things I'm bad at, why is THIS on the list!?_

"You… you know, Corrin," Scarlet spoke first, breaking both of them away from their thoughts. "I'm actually getting a little cold, even with the fire."

It was then for the first time that night, that Corrin noticed Scarlet's clothes weren't much different from what she normally wore. She wasn't wearing any of her armor, but still wore her riding clothes. Though the sleeves were hemmed with some fur, making her clothing more suitable for the cold weather, it still wouldn't provide a lot of warmth. As Corrin continued watching her, he couldn't help but stare at her a bit too long.

"Um… Corrin…?"

The prince snapped out of his reverie, again. He quickly turned away, embarrassed.

"S-sorry, Scarlet. I didn't mean to… it's just that… um…" Corrin sputtered for an explanation, but none came to his head.

Scarlet giggled. "It's… okay. I actually kinda like it… when, uh, you look at me like that."

"Really?" Corrin asked, turning his head back to Scarlet.

"Yeah," the blonde confirmed before an involuntary shiver coursed through her body. "Still cold, heh…"

At that moment, Corrin realized what his next move should be. He scooted, ever so slowly, closer to Scarlet. "Well, you know, Jakob once taught me that, if two people were cold and huddled together, they would warm themselves up by sharing body heat," the prince commented nervously as he scooted as close to Scarlet as he could get. "So, maybe we should, well…"

Without finishing his thought, Corrin tentatively put his arm around Scarlet and pulled her closer to him. Stunned and unsure of what to do, Scarlet sat rigidly in Corrin's embrace. After a few seconds, she began to relax and wrapped her arms around the half-dragon prince. A smile graced Scarlet's face as she snuggled into Corrin.

"Well, if it's to keep me warm, then I don't mind if we stay like this for a little while."

The pair glanced at each other and smiled before turning their attention back to the snow. There they stayed, until the warmth of their company and the fire lulled them to sleep.

* * *

 **A/N:**

" **Corrin and Silas attained support level A!"**

" **Hinoka and Scarlet attained support level B!"**

" **Corrin and Scarlet attained support level B!"**

 **Relationship development, relationship development, and relationship development. A fanfic hat trick!**

 **Thanks for reading guys, glad to be back. Sorry for the many breaks and small hiatus, but unfortunately I've been going through… shit, we'll call it. Oh, and preparing for graduation, fun times, lots of paperwork. But we are still going strong, and have a lot to go!**

 **Another thanks goes out to my beta who has been amazing all the way up to this point, TheRepeat. Always appreciate your help!**

 **So, leave me a review if y'all can, and follow or favorite, if y'all are willing to. Everything helps! But I'll keep y'all updated and start working on chapter 10. We're starting to get into good parts y'all, so stay tuned!**

 **Hope you enjoyed the story,**

 **nickdaman6**


	10. Chapter 10

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thanks!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: The First of Many Mornings Together**

It was the sun's rays that woke Corrin first, or at least partially. He didn't dare open his eyes; he was too comfortable to fully wake up yet. The warmth of the fire seemed to beckon the prince to continue sleeping. At least, that's what Corrin _thought_ was keeping him warm, but no, this warmth was much closer to him. Obviously, it couldn't have been the fire, otherwise he would have been burnt to a crisp a while ago. No, it was a pleasant warmth that Corrin was feeling so close to him, yet his part-asleep mind couldn't quite remember what this source of warmth was. Willing to risk his sleep, the young prince snuck a quick peek.

Snuggled up to Corrin under one of his arms was Scarlet.

The prince was thrown into an internal panic, trying to figure out why the blonde wyvern rider and he were in this position. It wasn't that he didn't mind it (in fact it was quite the opposite; Corrin would even go so far as to say he rather enjoyed the intimacy), but waking up to Scarlet snuggling with him threw the prince for quite the loop.

After a few more moments of panicked thinking, Corrin remembered what happened last night. They had retreated to Scarlet's room so that the wyvern rider could give the prince a gift in return for the magic gunk. Then, they'd sat together and watched the snowfall outside through the window. Eventually, Corrin worked up the courage to put his arm around Scarlet, which caused her to move closer to him…

 _Then we must have fallen asleep_ , Corrin thought. _Okay, that makes sense, but… if I'm here and not in my room sleeping, then…_

A sudden thought caused Corrin to go completely rigid. Felicia and Jakob would soon be walking to the young prince's room to wake him up. There was one problem, however: they wouldn't find Corrin in there.

Knowing Jakob, the butler would immediately bring together a search party to find the young prince. Felicia, meanwhile, wouldn't know what to do and most likely try to help, but make things worse in the end.

While the thought amused Corrin, it was the idea of when they _did_ find him that worried the prince. He was in a woman's room; more specifically a woman who was his age, whom he had danced with, and whom he had been spending a lot of time with. The rumors of his and Scarlet's night together would spread like wildfire; who knew how bad they would get?

 _Oh no… what do I do, what do I do!?_ Corrin's thoughts rapidly bounced around his mind. _I can't put Scarlet through that – it would completely embarrass her! Then what would happen between us? Would she be too embarrassed to see me again?_

"Hm… mornin', princeling," Scarlet purred happily, snuggling closer to Corrin.

The movement caught Corrin off-guard. He realized he must have accidently woken up the wyvern rider in his panicked internal frenzy.

"Um… good morning, Scarlet," the prince replied uneasily.

"Everything alright? I could feel you tensing up a bit," Scarlet questioned as she finally opened her eyes and shifted her focus to her human pillow.

For a moment, the prince could do nothing but stare into his sleeping companion's eyes. They were colored crimson, much like Scarlet's armor. It seemed as if they were dimly lit right now, as if a fire was starting to come to life in them. This fire drew Corrin in, captivating him with a calming warmth. He couldn't help but continue to stare.

"Corrin? You there?"

Scarlet knocked the prince on the forehead gently, bringing him back to the present.

"Y-yeah! Sorry, uh, about that."

The wyvern rider giggled. "It's okay. Also, even though I like where we are," Scarlet paused mid-sentence to sit up and stretch, "I think it's time to wake up. Can't spend the entire day sleepin', now can we?"

Scarlet followed her sentence with a wink.

"No, I suppose not." Corrin chuckled. As he sat up, his thoughts from earlier came back. "Plus, I should probably get back to my room. If I don't, then I'm sure Jakob and Felicia will-"

A knocking at Scarlet's door cut off the rest of Corrin's sentence.

"Good morning, Miss Scarlet. Are you awake?"

The voice, though muffled by the door, immediately registered in Corrin's head as belonging to Jakob.

"Oh no, why is Jakob here? Of all times?" Corrin groaned.

Scarlet stood up from the couch. "Maybe he realized I'd make a better you?" she joked.

"Ha, ha."

Jakob once again knocked on the door. "Miss Scarlet? Please open this door; it is of the utmost importance."

Corrin jumped from the couch. "Dammit, what should we do?"

"What do you mean?" Scarlet questioned innocently. She paused in walking towards her door. "It's just Jakob. He probably just wants to ask me something, and he's also probably looking for you."

The prince sighed heavily. "Yeah, I know he is. And what do you think is going to happen if he finds me in here with you?"

"Prolly nothin'. I mean, after all we were just cuddling, you spent the night, and… oh…" The realization hit Scarlet like the heavy tail of a thrashing wyvern. A lot of things could be insinuated from discovering Corrin had spent the night in Scarlet's room. "Aw crap…"

"Exactly!"

Once again, Jakob knocked on the door. "Miss Scarlet? Is there someone else in there with you?... Milord? Lord Corrin, is that… So what Hinata said was true!"

Immediately, the butler opened the door, prepared for whatever scene awaited him. Corrin and Scarlet were frozen in their tracks, trapped.

Jakob's eyes scanned the room as he entered, soon locking on his ward sharply. His expression became gnarled with displeasure, with a hint of shock. The butler fumbled for words, not entirely prepared to give such a lecture to his lord. Eventually, with a stern voice reserved only for the prince, Jakob let loose his tirade.

"Lord Corrin! What in seven hells are you doing here!? This is very unbecoming of a man of your standing!"

"W-well, you see, Jakob… um…" Corrin rubbed the back of his head, desperately searching for a believable, innocent-enough excuse.

"He fell asleep while I was working on his Yato!" Scarlet blurted out. What the wyvern rider said wasn't a complete lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either.

Both men's attention turned towards the wyvern rider. Immediately, Corrin joined in on the ruse and rushed to pick up his sword.

"Y-yeah! That's why I was here!" Corrin presented his Yato to Jakob as proof, allowing the butler to examine the mosaic design on the hilt of the blade.

Jakob examined the design closely with his discerning eye. After a tense moment, the pair waiting in trepidation, butler nodded his head, making a satisfied noise.

Jakob raised his eyebrows, seemingly impressed. "Well, this blade is proof that what you say is true, and so is the exquisite design..."

"Jakob! Have you asked Miss Scarlet about Lord Corrin?"

The familiar voice drew everyone's attention to the doorway. Standing there now was the pink-haired maid Felicia. She stared at the scene before her dumbfoundedly, trying to make sense of the situation. The first thing she did notice, however, was that Corrin was in Scarlet's room early in the morning. Having heard what Hinata had said herself, her mind immediately connected the dots.

"L-Lord Corrin!? What are you doing here in Miss Scarlet's room!?"

Both Corrin and Scarlet sighed in defeat. The rumors they had been trying to prevent would surely make their way around the Hoshidan army now.

* * *

Eventually, Corrin was able to make it out of Scarlet's room amidst the many questions bubbling from his clumsy maid. It was actually the butler who managed to pull Felicia away from the pair, saying things like 'Don't say such things, Felicia,' and 'Under no circumstance are we allowed to let this rumor spread, understood?' The prince was relieved to know that Jakob would make sure Felicia stayed quiet.

However, that didn't seem to stop the rumor that Corrin had spent the night in Scarlet's room from spreading.

As he made his way to breakfast, Corrin had already heard some whispers from the other Hoshidans and saw a few fingers pointing in his direction. It seemed that no matter what the prince did, word had already spread about him and Scarlet.

 _You and your big mouth, Hinata,_ the prince thought as he finished his breakfast at the hotel café. He stood from his seat and left to go think to himself. After all that happened last night, he needed a moment to process everything – preferably without any prying eyes.

Corrin made his way to the beach located right outside of the hotel. From what he could see, there were very few if any people there. With it being winter in Cyrkensia, this didn't surprise the prince at all. After all, the water and air were both frigid, so who would want to spend time on a beach? It didn't faze Corrin, however; in fact the vacant atmosphere and cool breeze seemed inviting.

This was the perfect place for the prince to think.

Corrin stepped onto the beach, enjoying the feeling of the sand between his toes. Immediately, he began to pace aimlessly, retreating into his mind.

Unsurprisingly, Scarlet was the first thing that Corrin thought of. The second was the small fire he felt within him as she entered his thoughts. After what had happened the previous night, the prince finally figured out what that spark in his heart was when he thought of Scarlet: it was attraction.

This wasn't just a physical attraction, either. It was much, _much_ more.

It was the way she challenged him whenever they were together, how she could so easily agree or disagree with something that Corrin said; it was how they laughed out of the blue at something not even remotely funny; and it was how every time they were together, Corrin noticed Scarlet's eyes light up with a similar fire. The prince was only realizing this now as he tried to search internally for a way to describe his feelings for the blonde wyvern rider.

The prince was searching internally for a way to put these feelings into words. He didn't know what else to say besides the fact that he felt something for her. Corrin's mind thought of a word that could describe it, but he quickly filed it away for another walk on the beach. The prince may not have known how to describe his feelings, but he did know that the wyvern rider returned them.

Then another question came to Corrin: how could he approach Scarlet about these feelings? After all, he had practically no experience with this. Even if the wyvern rider felt the same – which was evident by last night's turn of events – the prince still felt his tongue going numb at the mere thought of bringing this up with her.

 _Should I just… talk to her?_ Corrin thought. _But what would I say? 'There's a fire in my chest that… yearns for you?' No, too bold and cliché… 'I like you?' But would that get my point across? Ugh… again, out of the list of things I'm bad at, why does THIS have to be on there?_

"Hey, Corrin!"

 _Maybe I should talk to Subaki or Jakob about this,_ Corrin obliviously continued. _Maybe Hinata? No, he'd just tell everyone and make things worse._

"Corrin!"

 _Azura maybe? … No, definitely not, that would be a painful subject to talk about with her…_

"Corrin?"

 _Sakura?_

"Dammit… Corrin!"

 _…Silas?_

"For the love of… CORRIN!"

The prince was finally snapped awake by the sharp voice. He turned around to see someone he was currently unhappy with at the moment: Hinata. Following behind the excitable samurai was Subaki and Silas, both of whom were shaking their heads as Hinata continued yelling out Corrin's name.

The prince forced a smile as the samurai came up to him and put him into a headlock.

"There you are, Corrin! Been searchin' everywhere for ya!" Hinata exclaimed. Then, he bluntly commented, "I've been wantin' to hear what happened between you and Scarlet last night!"

As quickly as it appeared, the fake smile Corrin wore vanished.

"Come on, don't hold anything back!" the samurai added in, waiting for his friend to tell him everything.

Corrin thought on Hinata's words for a moment. _Well he did say not to hold anything back…_

To get out of the headlock – and get some revenge – the prince punched the samurai square in his gut. He doubled over instantly, collapsing to his knees. The next few seconds he spent gasping for air, trying to make his lungs work again.

"W-what was that for!?" Hinata wheezed.

"Just some payback." Corrin cracked his neck.

"For the headlock?"

"And spreading rumors about me."

"Oh, that…" Hinata commented lamely. He stood up from his kneeled position and smiled. "Well, you and Scarlet weren't exactly hiding it."

Corrin floored Hinata a second time.

"Okay… maybe I deserved that one…" the samurai gasped weakly.

Silas and Subaki were now standing on either side of Hinata. The pegasus rider commented, "I don't think he'll ever learn to keep his big mouth shut."

"Probably not," Silas agreed with his usual friendly smile. He greeted his childhood friend, "Happy Hearth's-Day, Corrin."

The prince couldn't help but smile back. "Happy Hearth's-Day to you too, Silas."

"I think both of you had a happy Hearth's-Day already, eh Subaki?"

Hinata had once again recovered from Corrin's blow and nudged the pegasus rider with his elbow. Subaki sighed in response, astounded by what his friend was insinuating.

"W-what are you talking about, Hinata?" Silas commented, his cheeks becoming increasingly red.

"I saw you and Hinoka too, Silas. _Obviously_ , you two were up to something."

Silas, at a loss for words, shifted his attention from Hinata to Subaki to Corrin.

Corrin raised his hands up in defense. "Don't look at me, I've already hit him twice. It's your turn now."

The knight sighed before returning his attention to Hinata and punching him hard on the shoulder.

"Ow! The hell Silas?" Hinata began rubbing his shoulder furiously, trying to rid it of any pain.

"Happy Hearth's-Day, Hinata. My present to you." Silas smiled. "Or maybe it's my present to me?"

Everyone, save Hinata, laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, glad my pain can be so amusing," the samurai replied with a half-smirk. "Anyway, no matter how many times you hit me, I'm still going to ask what's going on with you two. So might as well just tell us!"

Corrin and Silas sighed in unison. "I'm telling you, nothing happened," Corrin remarked, trying to deflect the question.

"Prince Corrin, we all know Hinata is exaggerating his rumors, but it would be foolish of us to believe that nothing happened when you went to Scarlet's room," Subaki chimed in, smiling as well. "Besides, I am a little curious myself."

Corrin stared at the pegasus rider in bewilderment. "You too, Subaki?"

"See, Corrin? Everyone wants to know, so might as well just tell us! Or do you want the rumors to get worse?" There was a scheming gleam in Hinata's eye, showing he wasn't bluffing.

It seemed Corrin would not be getting out of this. He sighed again, defeated. "Fine, fine. But only if Silas tells us what happened with Hinoka first."

This caught the silver-haired knight off-guard. "Wait, what?"

"Deal!" Hinata agreed immediately. "So, spill it, Silas, what happened?"

"Hold on! Don't I get a say in this?" the knight protested. "After all, we were here about Corrin."

"True, but the only reason I invited you was to get you to tell us about what happened with you and Hinoka last night," Hinata replied. He wore a big grin now, proud of his scheme coming to fruition. "So come on, tell us! We don't have all day."

Seeing no way out of this, Silas hung his head in defeat. "Alright, fine, just don't spread any rumors about us."

"That's futile, Silas," Subaki noted. "You know he can't keep quiet."

"He's got a point," Hinata added bluntly. The samurai rested his hands behind his head, his mischievous smile still there. "Now talk."

"But, I… Can't we…" Silas tried desperately one last time to search for something to say to get himself out of this predicament. Realizing there was no escape, he sighed heavily. "…okay, okay, but it really isn't that special."

"We'll be the judge of that," Corrin commented, happy to keep the subject off of himself.

"Alright, so it started off with just us talking to each other. Nothing unusual, but it took us a few tries to actually start a conversation. Neither of us are really that good with words." Silas rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. "So, I kind of had to say something ridiculous to get us started."

"And… what did you say?" Hinata prodded.

"Well earlier she said I looked 'sharp.' So, I asked her… 'Do I look as sharp as a sword?'"

For a second everything was silent, before Corrin, Hinata, and even Subaki busted out laughing.

"Y-you went with a gods awful pun to start talking? That's t-terrible Silas!" Hinata sputtered in between laughs. "I don't know if you're as sharp as a sword, but you're as dull as a chopstick!"

Silas groaned; he'd figured they would react this way. "Enough, I get it. I'm horrible at making small talk. Do you want me to continue the story or not?"

"Okay, okay!" Everyone took a moment to calm down before Hinata urged Silas to continue on.

Silas resumed his story. "Thank you. So, Hinoka did what you guys did and started laughing, but in a good way it seemed. After that, we started talking, and eventually, the topic of Azura and Ryoma's wedding came up. This went on for a while, since we kept messing up in what we were saying or we didn't know what to say. We sort of had to feel everything out at that point."

"I'm sure you would like to feel something else out," Hinata commented coyly.

Subaki immediately smacked him on the back of the head. "Quiet! That is our princess you are talking about, Hinata, and Corrin's sister."

Hinata rubbed the back of his head. "R-right… sorry."

"Anyway, after that, Hinoka asked me what my intentions were. Almost immediately, I blurted out, 'I aim to court you!' I'll admit, I could have used a little more tact there. The conversation probably should have lasted longer before I asked that…"

"Not the only the thing that should have lasted longer…" Hinata muttered.

Again, Subaki hit him before nodding towards Silas to continue.

Silas nodded in return, but stayed silent for a few moments before speaking again. "A-after that… well, I asked her if she would allow me to court her, and she answered my question then and there."

The knight didn't continue, once again becoming quiet. After waiting for Silas to finish his story, Corrin asked, "Did she say yes?"

Silas shook his head.

"So… she said no? Silas, I'm sorry…"

Once again, the knight shook his head without uttering a word.

"She didn't say no either? Then what did she say…?"

Silas took a deep breath before finally admitting, "She didn't say anything. She… um… kissed me."

"What!?" Corrin and Subaki exclaimed together.

"Wow, and this is the first time you've ever been interested in a girl? Impressive, Silas!" Hinata gave his friend a thumbs-up.

"Th-thanks. But yes, she kissed me," Silas once again confirmed, a smile on his face as he reminisced. "It wasn't the first time either, actually."

"So, you've kissed a girl before Hinoka? Good on you, buddy!" Hinata spoke up again, becoming more impressed by his friend.

"N-no! Not like that! It wasn't the first time Hinoka and I kissed, that was after we danced at the wedding. This kiss just sort of confirmed that we are together. That's what happened, though. After that she bid me good night and left."

"Well, I'm happy for you Silas! And for my sister as well," Corrin congratulated.

"Yes, I think you two will make a perfect pair. Just be careful of Gatsuchi, he can get territorial at times when it comes to Hinoka," Subaki advised.

"Yeah, so I've heard… I'm actually supposed to be meeting Hinoka to ride Gatsuchi. I'm kind of nervous…"

"I'm sure you'll do fine, Silas. Just hold on to Hinoka for dear life." His advice dispensed, Hinata turned his attention away from Silas and onto Corrin. "But before you go, I think it's Corrin's turn to talk."

Corrin was taken aback, afraid of where this was going. "W-wait, what? Now? When'd this turn on me!?"

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Alright now we start the relationships! Pairing time! And we're y'all expecting Hinoka and Silas to have done more than kissing by now? Yeah, sorry to burst y'all's pervy bubbles there :D**

 **Thanks for reading this chapter y'all! We're almost at the halfway point, in fact, I have the chapters written to the halfway point already! Two chapters pre-written, so as soon as those are edited, I'll be posting those and preparing all the good stuff. Only gonna get better from here on out, so stay tuned!**

 **And sorry for the tardiness, but I'm taking up my first real world job after college and have been out in the field working, so little time to write and less access to the internet. That's why I'm glad I have those other chapter pre-written!**

 **And, as always, thank you TheRepeat for editing and being a great beta! He always knows how to get what I want across when I can't think of the words, and also, congratulations to him for surviving another semester of school! Woohoo! Summer time is here people!**

… **or at least for y'all. I graduated, so on to the no-summer vacation real world…**

 **Drop a review if y'all enjoyed – or found something wrong with – this chapter! Constructive criticism and encouraging words are always welcome. So are favorites and follows, and I recommend y'all do this, because like I said, this fic will only get better from here on out!**

 **Hope you enjoyed the story,**

 **nickdaman6**


	11. Chapter 11

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thanks!**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Heads in the Clouds, Hearts on the Ground**

"So why exactly are you bringing me with you, Silas?"

The silver-haired knight was leading the way to the pegasi roost located close to the center of Cyrkensia. Following close behind him was Corrin, who had been asked to accompany his friend to see Hinoka and Gatsuchi. The prince didn't know what this would accomplish, but Silas had his reasons for bringing Corrin along with him.

"What? A friend can't ask a friend to accompany him to see the woman he is courting?" Silas asked, still not revealing his true intent behind having Corrin come with him. " _And_ she's your sister. Don't you want to see if I'm right for her?"

Corrin rolled his eyes as the pair continued traversing the desolate, snow-covered streets. "I've already given you my blessing, Silas. The one you should really be asking is Ryoma."

An image of Ryoma's Raijinto flashing dangerously with electricity came to Silas' mind. The knight shook his head, ridding himself of the image. "I-I think I'll wait on that. After all, I don't want to disturb him and Azura on their honey moon."

Corrin shrugged. "Suit yourself. But seriously, why are you taking me with you? You don't have to be nervous or anything, Hinoka already said she would let you court her."

"She didn't say anything about it, remember? It was more in her… actions," Silas corrected hesitantly, once again dodging Corrin's question.

The real reason why Silas was having his childhood friend come with him was due to a multitude of things. Primarily, Silas wanted to have someone there who could help him with Gatsuchi. Though he didn't doubt that Hinoka would be able to calm the beast down, the silver-haired knight wagered that since pegasi were relatively social creatures, they'd be more attuned if there were more friendly faces around. After hearing the horrors of Gatsuchi from Corrin, Hinata, and Subaki, Silas also figured he'd need all of the help he could get with the stubborn animal.

Another reason he wanted Corrin to come along was due to his knightly beliefs. That is to say, he still believed that, in order to protect his and Hinoka's honor, there had to be a chaperone to watch over their dates. This was as much to keep Silas in check as well as Hinoka. Azura and Ryoma's wedding night, which was considered a date, was a prime example of what could happen without a chaperone. Although he enjoyed it, the fact that he and Hinoka kissed on the first date made the knight a bit uncomfortable. Silas wouldn't change a thing that happened that night; he would just be better prepared in the future now.

Yet why would Corrin stay to chaperone Hinoka and Silas? That was the final reason why the knight had brought his friend with him.

After hearing Corrin's story of his night with Scarlet – which was practically forced out of the prince by Hinata – Silas had an idea. He knew Hinoka and Scarlet were becoming close friends, so he was hoping that the wyvern rider would be with Hinoka when they came to the pegasi roost. It was a bet, but a fair bet if Silas was being honest. Besides, it was an opportunity to see how Corrin and Scarlet interacted. The knight wanted to see if the wyvern rider was as good of a match for Corrin as he made her out to be. As a second thought, Silas also noted that he'd be able to chaperone for his friend as well. In that way, it was sort of a double date.

It was a surprising scheme concocted by the Nohrian knight. Though he didn't like tricking his friend, or lying to him for that matter, Silas figured this would be best for all parties involved. He smirked, thinking how tricky he could actually be when he put his mind to it.

"You're not answering my question, again…" Corrin said matter-of-factly. The prince sighed, realizing he wouldn't get an answer from the knight. "Whatever you're planning, just be lucky I'm bad at reading people. And you owe me."

"Don't worry, Corrin!" Silas responded. "It's not like I'm doing anything that would only benefit me and harm you. After all, we're friends, aren't we?"

"True, but Hinata is also a friend and he hasn't been acting in my best interest either, you know?"

"Nor mine," the knight added. "He just can't stop talking."

"Yeah, don't worry, I'm sure we'll find a way to get back at him," Corrin assured Silas with a wicked grin. "After all, how do you think Oboro would take the news that her husband started these rumors about us?"

The knight thought on the question for a minute, before answering, "Well I'm sure she would reprimand him some way. After all, she doesn't like it when her husband… Oh…" When Silas realized what his friend was hinting at, he also smiled mischievously. "Then I think it's best that she knows as soon as possible, wouldn't want Oboro's reputation to be ruined or anything."

"My thoughts exactly," Corrin replied.

The duo laughed heartily as they continued walking down the winding streets that wove through Cyrkensia like blood vessels in a human body. If the Opera House in Cyrkensia was the heart of this body, then the Royal Palace would be its head and the Central Fortress would be its muscle. That was what Silas thought as he and Corrin approached the massive military headquarters.

It was surrounded by a wall made from bricks of white stone that appeared to be almost impenetrable from the outside. They passed under a raised gate that was large enough for two wyverns to fly through, one above the other. As they entered the fortress, they saw the numerous towers rising from the ground into the sky; these towers pierced the sky with pointed, shingled roofs and outcroppings made for archers and catapults alike. While the fortress was a military installation, the Cyrkensians made sure it still carried the style of the city that it called home. It combined the aesthetics of Cyrkensia with the might of Nestra brilliantly, Silas had to admit.

Rising from the middle of the Central Fortress was the local pegasi roost. It was the tallest tower in the fortress, and had pegasi and wyvern alike flying in and out. Corrin and Silas made their way to the tower, following the directions of the guards as they traversed the layout of the fortress. As they came to the foot of the roost, one thing went through the duo's mind that made their muscles already ache: how many stairs would they have to climb to reach the top?

* * *

"So that's what happened during the wedding?" Scarlet questioned with little intensity. When she received Hinoka's tentative nod as a response, the wyvern rider continued. "Thank the Dusk Dragon! I honestly thought you two had snuck off and…" Scarlet halted herself before continuing and coughed, acting as if she had an itch in her throat. "Well, let's just say I'm glad that's all you two did."

Her friend stared at her with a naïve and innocent look, sprinkled with a hint of confusion. Hinoka truly had no idea where Scarlet was going with her train of thought, so the pegasus rider shrugged it off.

Before speaking again, she turned back to grooming Gatsuchi. "Yeah, that's it. Then at Hearth's-Eve – Happy Hearth's-Day by the way, Scarlet," the warrior princess cut herself off, receiving the same from her friend. Hinoka continued, "he asked if he could court me and all I could do was… well, I kissed him. Again. This time it lasted longer and it felt… right. I thought I made my intentions clear with that kiss, but now that I've thought about it, I'm not entirely sure. I feel like I should have said yes, or said anything instead of just leaving him there. But then I thought that it would be more mysterious that way, and I remember Orochi once telling me how men like a mystery, and it just happened! And-"

"Hinoka!"

Scarlet had turned her focus away from taking care of Crimson to stop Hinoka's rambling, which was quickly becoming worse by the second.

"Yes, Scarlet?" Hinoka asked, once again giving her friend that clueless stare.

"First, you need to calm down. I know that this is confusing, being your first love and all, but you don't need to overthink it. Second, it's clear that from how Silas has been acting around you that he feels the same, okay? Don't worry so much." Scarlet patted her friend's shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile. Before returning to Crimson, the wyvern rider added in with wink, "And third, I think you did good. Guys do like a little mystery after all."

"Th-thanks, Scarlet," Hinoka stammered, a light shade of red appearing on her face. "Actually, Silas should be here pretty soon. I promised him a ride on Gatsuchi today as a Hearth's-Day gift."

"Ah, so that's why his coat's shinier than usual. Good thinkin'! Where are you two going?"

Hinoka shrugged. "Not entirely sure. I thought I would figure that out when we're in the sky and besides you said it yourself," the warrior paused before turning back to Scarlet with a smile and saying, "guys like a little mystery."

"That they do. You're a quick learner, Hinoka!"

"I try. Speaking of mystery, what's going on between you and my brother?" Hinoka intoned, genuinely curious as to what had happened between Corrin and Scarlet. "I heard from Hinata that he went to your room last night. Is that true?"

Immediately, Scarlet's face went completely red. She quickly turned away from Hinoka to dodge the question. As she did every time the warrior princess brought up her brother, Scarlet became quiet. Though it was unfair to Hinoka, the wyvern rider was never good at expressing her feelings or talking about relationships with others. This occasion, however, was just a bit different: Scarlet realized that if she stayed quiet and didn't answer Hinoka's question, then she would appear all the guiltier. Yet if she answered the question, she would have to speak about her and Corrin's relationship just as her friend had.

"Scarlet? Come on, you haven't said much about my brother," Hinoka pleaded, hoping her friend would actually talk this time.

Deciding on the lesser of two evils, Scarlet sighed.

"Well, you see…" she began, still a little uneasy. "Corrin did come to my room last night, but it isn't what you think! Hinata's just got a huge mouth, is all…"

Hinoka giggled. "So, this is what it's like, huh?"

"What?"

"Nothing, I believe you, keep going," the pegasus rider urged encouragingly.

"Okay, anyway, Corrin gave me a gift to use for my mosaics. So, as a gift to him, I decorated his Yato. We both were sleepy after that, so we… cuddled on my couch and fell asleep. Nothing else happened though, I swear!" Scarlet added in hurriedly to deter any thoughts that may have went through Hinoka's mind.

Nothing of the sort occurred to the warrior princess, who merely smiled in return. "I thought as much, Hinata can be a loud-mouth sometimes. You should have seen how he treated Hana and Subaki when they first began courting. He wouldn't stop with the rumors!"

Both women shared a laugh. Once they had calm down, Hinoka spoke once more. "But thanks for telling me, Scarlet. I'm glad my brother's in such good hands."

Scarlet rubbed the back of her head uneasily. "Y-yeah, I hope it all goes well."

Hinoka made to speak, but before she could, she heard the gentle creak of the roost's door slowly opening. The warrior princess and wyvern rider turned their heads to see who had come up all this way.

Walking – or more like crawling – through the threshold was Corrin and Silas. The prince was leaning against the door, almost ready to collapse from the climb up to the roost. Silas, meanwhile, was doubled over and trying to catch his breath. The two flyers struggled to hold in their laughter as they watched the scene before them.

"H-how… how in the hells can someone make that trek every day!?" questioned Corrin in between gasps for air.

Silas shook his head before finally collapsing onto the cobblestone floor. "Beats… beats me… That's what we… get for… skipping out on training…"

"Who could blame us…? Now, come on… is this any way for… Hinoka to… to see you…?"

Still gasping for breaths, Corrin helped Silas up, placing the knight's arm around his shoulder for support. As the young prince helped his friend up, they finally saw Hinoka and Scarlet. Once they made eye contact with them, the two women burst out in laughter, unable to hide their mirth any longer. Both men watched them in confusion.

"What's so funny?" Corrin asked after finally catching his breath.

Scarlet spoke up. "N-nothin', Corrin. Just you two coming through the door like that…" She couldn't finish her sentence as she kept laughing. While the young prince couldn't help but internally smile at the sound of Scarlet's laughter, he and Silas were still perplexed.

Hinoka added in, "It's just you guys walking in like that seemed…"

"So comical!" Once Scarlet had finished her friend's thought, the duo began a new round of laughter. "I-it's… it's just like in those romantic comedy stories I read when I was younger!" the wyvern rider concluded as her laughs finally calmed to a few chuckles.

All Corrin and Silas could do was look at each other, shrug their shoulders, and make their way to the pair of flyers. Once they had made their way to Hinoka and Scarlet, Silas untangled himself from Corrin and sat down next to the warrior princess.

Hinoka placed her hand on Silas' back and began rubbing it gently, showing they were at least a bit more comfortable with each other now. The knight faced her and smiled in thanks, causing both Corrin and Scarlet – who were now standing together – to roll their eyes in mock disgust.

"Sickenin' ain't it?" Scarlet asked as she went back to caring for Crimson.

"Well, at least they aren't oblivious anymore. That was almost more painful to watch," the prince responded.

"True, didn't know you were joining us today." Scarlet put away her brush and retrieved her saddle for Crimson.

While petting Crimson's head carefully and trying to gain the wyvern's trust, Corrin asked, "'Joining'? What do you mean?"

"Thought Silas told you. We're goin' on a ride today," Scarlet answered.

"'We'?"

The wyvern rider chuckled lightly. Again, Corrin couldn't help but notice how melodious her laughter sounded. "Yes, we. What? You think this bigger saddle is just for me? Not a chance!"

It was then that the prince pieced everything together and turned to glare at Silas, who was trying to feign innocence. Failing, the knight quickly turned away from his friend and tried to pet Gatsuchi.

"You're going to pay for this, Silas," Corrin muttered to himself, unsure how he felt about heights as of yet.

"What was that, Corrin?" Scarlet asked as she finished strapping the saddle to Crimson.

Corrin turned his attention back to the wyvern and her rider. "Oh, nothing. Just looking forward to the ride."

"I think you'll have fun. I'm excited," Scarlet said with a smile.

The prince could actually feel the excitement radiating from the wyvern rider. In turn, he couldn't help but feel equally excited. Once again, Corrin was sharing in one of Scarlet's passions. He knew how he felt about her now, so being able to participate in what the wyvern rider loved was a whole new experience all together. One that Corrin felt more than happy to share.

"Come on!"

Scarlet snapped the prince out of his reverie, extending her hand to pull Corrin up on Crimson's dual saddle. He smiled, and took the wyvern rider's hand, being helped into a comfortable position behind her. After he settled in and gripped onto Scarlet's waist, the pair shared a smile with each other before hearing a yelp from the other side of the roost.

They turned their attention to Gatsuchi, Hinoka, and Silas. The latter of the three was holding his hand in pain, while the rider was scolding her mount for biting. It was pretty easy to piece together what had happened.

Corrin chuckled. "That's payback, Silas."

"What?" Scarlet intoned.

"Nothing," Corrin replied. He chuckled once more before saying, "Let's go! I'm sure they can catch up to us."

The wyvern rider smirked and urged Crimson forward. As they were about to fly off the roost, Scarlet yelled at the top of her lungs, "Hold on!"

What followed was a scream of surprise as Crimson swan dived from the top of the Central Fort roost before unfurling her wings and soaring into the sky.

* * *

By the time Corrin and Scarlet had returned to the hotel, the sun was just beginning to set on the horizon. Its orange glow reflected off of the sea, creating a blend of yellows, oranges, and reds that was pleasing to the eye. This combination formed what one would call a 'perfect end to a perfect day.'

Talking as they made their way into the hotel, the prince and wyvern rider recounted the events that had happened during their ride together.

"They all looked like ants!" Corrin exclaimed, still impressed by the change of view one received as they watched the world below from the clouds above. "It was amazing! You could see everyone just milling around and enjoying their day! I couldn't believe how mesmerizing it was."

Scarlet giggled at Corrin's excitement. "It is pretty great. I always feel so calm when I'm up in the clouds and able to look down on the world. Feeling like nothing could harm you and the wonder of knowing how big our world is, there's almost nothing else like it…"

Again, the prince could only watch in wonder as Scarlet continued gushing about her passion for flying. And again, he couldn't help but feel a warmth in him that caused him to smile gently. He had a vague idea of why watching the wyvern rider share this experience with him made him feel this way, but he still couldn't put it into words. There was just something invigorating and intoxicating about sharing Scarlet's love of flying and mosaic that caused Corrin to care all the more deeply for her.

While Corrin continued to explore his feelings internally, Scarlet – though talking – was simultaneously doing the same. She felt happy, more than happy actually, to share herself with the prince. In fact, she couldn't think of a time when she had done this with anyone else. It felt like she was opening herself up to Corrin, without worry of what he would think. Because somewhere deep down, she knew he would accept her for who she was no matter what.

It felt freeing.

At the same time, Scarlet couldn't help but feel that Corrin had shared little about his passions in return. She wanted to see the same spark of excitement that the prince saw in her eyes whenever she was creating a new mosaic or riding Crimson; she wanted him to feel as free as she did. Yet Scarlet knew that would all come in time. For now, she was happy to be able to show Corrin, who had fanned a flame in her heart, what she loved about the world.

"Also, I wonder where Hinoka and Silas went off to," Scarlet thought aloud, bringing both her and Corrin fully to the present.

"Now that I think about it, they barely stuck with us." Corrin pondered on the question of where his sister and friend could have gone. Neither he or Scarlet saw them at the roost, so that could only mean they were still out flying on Gatsuchi. It occurred to the prince then that the pair had veered off at some point. "Although, when we were passing those mountains, they left us."

"Wonder why."

"Don't know. Knowing Silas, I bet he's proposing to her right now."

The pair shared a soft laugh before the reality of the situation dawned on them.

"You don't think…?" Scarlet left the question open, her eyes wide as she thought on the idea.

"No, he couldn't! Or at least I don't think he would…" Corrin answered unsurely. "I'm sure they just wanted to enjoy the view."

"Well… no point thinking about it too hard. We'll know soon… ish…"

"Y-yeah."

As they finished their conversation, the pair both realized that they were standing outside of Scarlet's room. They hesitated, neither wanting the day to end just yet; but neither knew what to do, so they stood there and waited for the other to make a move.

Eventually, Scarlet took the lead and ventured to ask, "Wanna come in for a moment…?"

The question came out slowly and caught Corrin off-guard. Of course, he was hoping that Scarlet would ask him this, but with the previous night's incident so fresh in their minds and the rumors already spreading amongst the Hoshidans, the prince was surprised at the offer. So, words failing him presently, Corrin nodded slowly.

The wyvern rider visibly brightened as she opened the door to her room. "Good! I have something to give you. It's a continuation of my Hearth's-Day gift."

"Another gift? Well, looks like you have me at a disadvantage this time, Scarlet," Corrin admitted bashfully.

Scarlet chuckled. "It's alright, I wasn't expecting anything else. This is just icing on the cake. Plus, I wanted to give you something more than just a design on your sword."

Once again, the pair sat down in front of the room's fireplace. The stones and magic gunk were still laid out on the floor, waiting to be used.

Scarlet patted the floor and smiled earnestly. "Lie down!"

"Sorry?" Corrin asked in confusion, but followed the wyvern rider's directions.

"I've already prettied up your weapon, so now it's time to pretty up your outfit!" Scarlet replied gleefully.

Corrin's head shot up, a worried expression on his face. "What!?"

"Oh, relax. It's not like I'm fastening this stuff to your bare skin. It's just some clothes." Scarlet assured her living canvas. "This won't hurt a bit."

"B-but why me…? Why not Hinoka?"

Scarlet's cheeks turned red. She rubbed the back of head bashfully before responding. "'Cause I like ya, I guess, so I wanna see you sparkle!"

"W-well, when you put it that way…" the prince replied slowly.

"So, hurry up and lie back down. Don't make me knock you flat."

"Alright, alright! Just promise you'll keep it small and tasteful."

Quickly, the prince obeyed. Though he didn't doubt that Scarlet would force him to lie down, he had to admit that the prospect of her doing so sounded almost… nice. After all, it wouldn't have been forceful or anything, but more playful. It was then Corrin's thoughts ran rampant for a minute at what could have happened had he disobeyed the wyvern rider.

The prince quickly regained control, however, as Scarlet asked him, "How small are you thinking?"

"Hm… maybe you can keep it to the wrist of my sleeve?"

Scarlet turned her attention to the long sleeve of Corrin's white undershirt that stretched down his arm from the black vest he wore over the shirt. She hummed to herself thoughtfully before exclaiming, "That'd make it look like a bracelet! Kinda. Not a bad idea, princeling! Let's get started!"

As the wyvern rider went to work on Corrin's shirt, the prince watched in earnest. After seeing the detail and skill Scarlet showcased on his Yato last night, he had to admit he was a little excited to see what sort of design the Cheve woman would create this time. It took almost as long as the last design, but the former Nohrian prince remained still throughout the process and patiently waited for Scarlet to finish.

Once she had completed her mosaic, she looked up from her work and examined it. Pleased with herself, she turned to Corrin and gestured at the 'bracelet.' "How do you like that? I went with a color that I thought would go good with your eyes."

Corrin sat up and examined his wrist. Indeed, the color was quite pleasing. A length of red gem stones ran the diameter of his wrist, with a design resembling the head of Corrin's dragon form in the middle of the 'bracelet.' All in all, the prince was pleased with Scarlet's additional Hearth's-Day gift.

"I thought when I asked you to keep it small that it would be easily hidden," Corrin admitted. "But this is actually very nice!"

"Didn't quite catch that. Care to repeat it?" Scarlet teased with a wink.

A small blush rose to the prince's face. "N-no, it's fine!"

The wyvern rider giggled in response. "Take good care of that, okay? It's got sentimental value."

"That it does," Corrin smiled as he glanced at the bracelet and then back at the wyvern rider. "Thank you, Scarlet."

"There's that smile I love to see!"

The prince chuckled in response and once again stared at the design permanently fixed on the wrist of his shirt. As he did so, his smile disappeared and he thought on the emotions he was currently feeling. A spark, no, a flame was burning in his heart. As it did, the words he had been searching for all day finally came to the forefront of his mind.

"Scarlet, there's… something I need to tell you," Corrin admitted.

"What is it, Corrin?" She lifted her head up from examining the bracelet so that her eyes were now staring directly into Corrin's.

The prince gulped nervously. The stage was set. Corrin shifted slightly, causing the wooden floor to creak in applause, joining in with the crackling fire in voicing its encouraging approval. Wind whistled outside like an overture, heralding for the lead to say his part, his lines in this play. There was no turning back now. He just hoped that this confession would be better received than the last.

"Lately, I have been having these strange feelings," Corrin began slowly, thinking he was off to a good start. "At first, I thought they were remnants of my frustration with you, specifically. But the more time I spent with you, the more I realized they weren't feelings of frustration or annoyance or anything like that. In fact, I still don't know what they are exactly. But…" At this point, Corrin held Scarlet's hand in his own to help drive home the message. "Then we started becoming friends and I started to see the good parts of you. And after seeing your passion for what you do, your beauty and your drive, I think I may be starting to figure out that these emotions are more than just friendship. So, what I'm saying is… while I figure out how I feel about you, will you stay by me? I'm not entirely sure what ones in our position are called, but I want to try it. Do you… feel the same…?"

As Corrin had delivered his confession to Scarlet, an increasingly red blush had risen to her face. They had also noticed that they had moved closer to each other in the process, their faces only a couple inches from the other's. Before either could speak up again, however, instinct took over, causing them to close the remaining distance and allowing their lips to meet.

Their first kiss almost felt rigid as the unfamiliar action took place. Yet as the seconds ticked by it turned soft, becoming familiar as their lips became accustomed to the shape of the other's. It was innocent, it was passionate, and it was intoxicating. Simultaneously, the fire burning in their hearts rose like an inferno, taking control of Corrin and Scarlet, causing them to lose themselves in the kiss, if only for a moment. This unlikely pair, who couldn't stand each other only a few weeks prior, was now taking their first steps together to explore their feelings for the other.

They broke apart only a minute later, though it felt much longer than that, to catch their breaths. They touched their foreheads together in a caring motion, with one of Corrin's hands on Scarlet's waist, and one of Scarlet's hands on the back of Corrin's neck. Meanwhile, their other hands were still intertwined.

Then they broke out in quiet laughter.

When they calmed down, Scarlet bit her lower lip before saying, "I'm pretty sure that answers your question. Don'tcha think?"

Corrin smiled in response and teasingly answered, "I'm not so sure."

The wyvern rider giggled, realizing quickly what the prince was hinting towards. "Then let me say it: yes, I feel that fire too; and yes, I want to figure out what it means with you. So, yes, I want you to be my beau."

"'Beau'?" Corrin repeated as a question.

"Yeah, you said you didn't know what we are, but back in Cheve couples like us would refer to the guy as a beau and the gal as a belle." Scarlet informed Corrin as she continued heavily blushing. "What d'ya say? You're my beau and I'm your belle?"

Corrin's smile could only grow. "I'm your beau and you're my belle," he relayed back to Scarlet before he closed the gap between them with another kiss.

In the morning, Felicia and Jakob would once again come to Corrin's room to wake him up, and they would once again find no one there. They would quickly realize that their lord had fallen asleep in Scarlet's room, just as he had the previous night. Rumors would make their way throughout the army, but neither the prince or his wyvern rider would care this time. For this time, they were beau and belle.

* * *

 **A/N:**

" **Corrin and Scarlet attained support level A!"**

 **AHHHHH! I've been waiting so long to say those words! It's been a long time coming, but I think this is the chapter everyone has been waiting for, no? Hope it delivered.**

 **Now, I have one more chapter pre-written and ready to go. Gonna go over it, and get it cleaned up, then I'll probably be working on the next chapter after that. Though I might wait on my beta for that one, since I really just wanted to release this chapter. I was too excited to wait any longer.**

 **If y'all like this chapter, or the fic, please drop a review, they are my energy drink and fuel my day. Follows and favorites are my tea and cookies, giving me the fuel I need to get through the mornings! Looking forward to what y'all say and the next few chapters!**

 **Hope you enjoyed the story,**

 **nickdaman6**


	12. Chapter 12

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thanks!**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: As Sharp as a Sword**

The morning chill creeping through the crack of the partially open window was the first thing to wake Corrin. Blankets covering the prince's body kept him warm, save the one portion of the body that mattered the most: his feet. He quickly retracted them further into the protective warmth and held his eyes firmly shut, trying to fade back into his blissful sleep. For a moment, his return to dreamland seemed to be working perfectly. That is, until he heard a melodious giggle that warmed him more than any blanket could. Still, warming though the sound was, he would've preferred the blanket not be tugged away… as it soon was.

Exposed to the cold, Corrin wrapped his arms around himself to try to regain some semblance of warmth. His endeavor was pointless, as the brisk chill now forced him to fully wake up. He sat up in the bed and turned to the culprit who had deprived him of his sleep. A pair of crimson eyes peeked at him before disappearing to hide in the mass of blankets; another giggle followed as the offender hid herself.

Rolling his eyes, Corrin couldn't help but faintly smile. However, he wasn't about to forfeit those blankets so easily.

With monumental effort, the prince began tugging at the blankets wrapped securely around Scarlet. No matter how much the prince tugged at the warm covers, they seemed to be held in place by the strong grip of the wyvern rider. Realizing his efforts were futile, Corrin gave one more unsuccessful tug to free the blankets, before admitting his momentary defeat.

The prince heard a muffled voice triumphantly taunt, "Have to pull harder than that! Crimson's helped my grip become as tough as steel!"

Staring in bewilderment at how securely protected Scarlet was, Corrin relented. "Fine, fine." Yet the battle wasn't over. "But did she prepare you for this!?"

Before the pile of blankets could even react, the prince had jumped on top of them to keep the wyvern rider in place. Immediately, Corrin began running his fingers along Scarlet's sides. From what he saw of her reaction, he'd have to say his merciless tickling was affecting her.

Scarlet immediately began thrashing around, still trapped in her cocoon of blankets and trying to throw Corrin off of her. "St-stop! Ahhhh! Corrin!" the wyvern rider yelled in between severe bouts of laughter. It would seem that the prince had been able to locate her personal weakness. Though the tickling wasn't unpleasant, Scarlet could feel herself about to burst from her amount of laughter. "I-I'm gonna… gonna pee, Corrin! St-stop!" Yet his assault, and ultimately Scarlet's uncontrollable laughter, continued.

"Abandon your fortress, and meet me fair and square on the field of battle, milady! Corrin replied overdramatically, his voice sounding like that of a snobbish Nohrian nobleman. "Only then shall I relent my cheap trick!"

Scarlet replied in kind, adopting a haughty impression of a Nohrian noblewoman: "F-fine! I give into your d-demands! Now, please yield!"

Eventually, Corrin finished tickling Scarlet and un-straddled her, sitting next to the swiftly breathing bundle of blankets. Waiting what he thought to be a fair amount of time – and having seen no progress in Scarlet untangling herself from the blankets – Corrin playfully threatened, "I can continue my assault anytime, milady!"

"Alright, alright!" Scarlet replied with a giggle. "Hold your wyverns, I'm comin' out."

Slowly, the blankets shifted to form an opening in the near impenetrable cloth fortress. Popping her head out hair first was Scarlet, eyes innocently staring at Corrin and pleading for the prince to _never_ tickle her again. He stared at his wyvern rider, studying her. Her smile was contagious, immediately causing Corrin to do the same. Her crimson eyes, usually hard and filled with a burning fire, had softened and showed a kinder warmth, created by a dancing flame behind the wyvern rider's pupils. The beginnings of tears filled the corners of Scarlet's eyes as well; no doubt they would have spilled over had Corrin continued his assault. Yet what stood out to the prince the most were the small imperfections that made his belle his:

Freckles dotted her nose and cheeks; dimples formed at the corners of her near constantly smiling lips; and small strands of blonde hair – free from her usual black bow – fell loosely across her forehead. It was a sight to behold, and Corrin would gladly watch her forever, but he saw an opening.

As the blankets opened more, allowing Corrin to see Scarlet's upper torso, the prince made a grab for the wyvern rider. Using the strength in both of his arms, he brought Scarlet to him. With a yelp, she fought her prince with little resistance for a moment before allowing herself to be taken on to Corrin's lap.

Cradled in Corrin's arms, Scarlet was now laughing profusely with him. The wyvern rider shifted to sit on his lap and to pull the blanket over both of them, while never leaving his embrace. Securely protected from the morning chill now, Corrin flashed Scarlet a small smile and received a quick kiss in return.

"Well I'd say that's a victory for me," Corrin coyly remarked.

Scarlet laid her head on his chest, chuckling and absentmindedly playing with the collar of his shirt. "Alright, I'll concede just this once. But don't expect such an assault will work in the future."

"Oh, really? Shall I continue the last one then?"

Corrin moved his hands threateningly to Scarlet's sides, causing the wyvern rider to almost jump out of his grasp. Instead, the prince just pulled her closer to him, laughing as he did so.

Scarlet's pout wasn't enough to hide her playful smirk. "Not funny! And what about you, mister tough guy? Don't have any weaknesses…?"

"Um… no… No! Of course not!" Corrin's body language betrayed him, however.

The wyvern rider felt the prince's hips subconsciously twitch away from her.

"Either you or your body is lying," she remarked.

Before the prince could respond, Scarlet began running her fingers tentatively along Corrin's side, eliciting a small bout of laughter. Out of kindness – well, mostly not wanting a retaliation – the wyvern rider ended it there, but not before giggling and playfully teasing him, "So that's not a weakness?"

"Okay, maybe just that one," Corrin replied quickly.

Almost too quickly in Scarlet's eyes. "Only the one?"

It was then that the prince noticed the playfulness in her eyes, one that was slowly developing as their morning progressed. He wasn't sure why she watched him so impishly like that, but he was eager to find out.

Corrin kissed Scarlet forcefully, causing her to moan softly into his mouth. The room's chill disappeared. Their bodies moved against each other instinctively, with Scarlet shifting to straddle over Corrin's lap, all the while keeping their lips locked.

The wyvern rider momentarily broke away from the kiss, allowing her forehead to stay connected with his. She bit her lip as her eyes drifted down to Corrin's shirt. Fixing her playful gaze back on the prince, she reached for the first button of his shirt and deeply kissed him once again. Just as Scarlet managed to unbutton Corrin's collar, a knock echoed from the wyvern rider's door.

Almost immediately, the pair broke apart; Scarlet could have sworn she heard Corrin mutter a curse under his breath. Chuckling, the wyvern rider addressed whoever was behind the door.

"Who is it?"

"Hey, Scarlet! It's Hinata!" The muffled voice resounded through the wooden barrier.

"Of course," Corrin mumbled, letting his head fall back to hit the wall.

Again, Scarlet laughed at his pouting. "What can I do ya for, Hinata?"

"Well, it's not so much you that can do something for me, it's more Corrin. And I know he's in there!" Both the prince and the wyvern rider could hear the amused smugness in Hinata's voice. They rolled their eyes in unison. "After all, Felicia and Jakob were both throwing a fit searching for ya. I knew immediately where to look!"

"And if he's not in here?" Scarlet retorted.

"Well, then… wait, is he not in there?" the samurai asked worriedly.

For a moment, the pair thought they had thrown him off, but Hinata quickly recovered.

"Wait, I know he's in there! Rinkah told me she couldn't sleep with all the 'gods damned, sickening giggling' coming from your room, Scarlet! Now, unless you're two-timing Corrin, I know he's in there!"

Thinking on the issue at hand, Corrin considered letting Scarlet continue with her act for a split second. However, he just as hastily decided against it. After all, there were already rumors spreading around about them. It would be best to keep those rumors to a minimum, especially if Hinata was involved.

"Fine, fine, you caught me," Corrin relented. "Now what is it, Hinata?"

"Gods be damned, I knew it! Corrin, you sly dastard you!"

Corrin ignored the samurai's excitement, instantly having second thoughts about speaking. The prince agitatedly repeated his question. "What do you want, Hinata?"

"Oh, right! Meet me on the beach here in the next half hour! I have some business that needs to be taken care of, and I need my friends there to witness it. So, finish whatever you two are doing and meet us out there!"

"'Us'? Who's 'us'? Hinata?"

The prince didn't receive a response, so he assumed the samurai had left. Corrin sighed, happy that Hinata hadn't busted into the room like he was prone to do, but unhappy that he was being called upon. And he did not want to know what would happen if he was even a minute late; Corrin was mostly afraid that the samurai might actually come back and forcibly drag him out.

"Looks like an audience has been requested of the princeling," Scarlet teased.

Corrin scoffed. "Yeah, looks like. I'm sure he wouldn't mind the princessling coming along too, though."

"'Princessling'?"

"Yeah… that didn't come out as well as I thought it would."

"No kidding," Scarlet replied with a short laugh. "Now come on, we have to go see what Hinata wants."

She made an attempt to move off of Corrin, but he grabbed her wrist, turning her attention back to him. A mischievous smile highlighted his face.

"I heard him say we have thirty minutes," he explained playfully. "Why waste such a relaxing morning?"

Scarlet chuckled. "What? Doesn't the princeling want to show off his princessling?"

"Hm… tempting, but not yet."

With that, the pair shared another laugh before returning to the kiss Hinata had so rudely interrupted.

* * *

Not much later Corrin and Scarlet emerged from their room as cleaned up as they could be in the short amount of time between them leaving their bed and leaving for the beach. The prince was still in his semi-formal attire that very much resembled Jakob's save for the few pieces of armor and coat tail. Meanwhile, the wyvern rider was wearing a coat over her usual riding clothes, hoping to keep herself as warm as Corrin's arms had kept her. The thought caused a small blush to rise to her face.

She kept her arm around the prince's as they walked down the numerous halls of the hotel in a comfortable silence. They shared a soft smile all the while.

Eventually, they arrived at the beach, seeing that a thin layer of snow had fallen atop the sand. Seeing the snow between Corrin's toes, Scarlet shook her head and sighed. "I never understood why you never wear shoes…"

Corrin made a questioning sound before following Scarlet's eyes. He chuckled. "Well, don't you think that shoes are uncomfortable?"

"But in the snow?" the wyvern rider retorted, sidestepping the prince's questions. She raised her head back to him, eyeing him with a motherly look. "You're gonna get sick, you know?"

Again, the prince couldn't help but laugh. "You're going to have to do better than that, Scarlet. Jakob's been climbing that tree for years, hasn't even neared the top yet. By this point he's basically given up."

"Fair enough." Scarlet seemed to almost resign herself to the fact, but she suddenly gave Corrin a mischievous look. "But I'm sure Jakob can't be as persuasive as I can."

The wyvern rider followed up with a wink, causing Corrin to stop dead in his tracks while she continued walking. She turned to see a small blush rise to Corrin's face as he stared off into the distance. Scarlet rolled her eyes, but couldn't help a sly smile and blush of her own.

She closed the distance between her and Corrin, grabbing his hand and saying, "Enough with the dirty thoughts, let's go."

The prince shook his head and snapped himself back into reality. "… Th-they weren't _that_ dirty."

"Sure," Scarlet drawled out, pulling Corrin along. "'Sides, not as fun teasing you if they weren't."

"Yeah, yeah. Looks like that's them over there."

Corrin turned the conversation, as well as Scarlet's attention, to the small group forming a short distance away from them. As the pair walked up to the group, they recognized that everyone was from the Hoshidan army. He spotted Takumi, Oboro, Subaki, Hana, Jakob, Felicia, Silas, and Hinoka. In the middle of the group was a dummy dressed in a very familiar set of clothing.

It was wearing Hinata's tuxedo.

"You can't be serious, Hinata…" Corrin muttered.

"I am afraid he is, milord," Jakob affirmed. The butler shook his head, seemingly in disappointment. "It is such a marvelous work of tailoring, and I did not think that brute would take my words seriously. That truly is a 'monkey' suit after all."

"Oh, come now Jakob." Felicia tried to comfort her distraught friend. "You could craft something a million times better!" The maid smiled and widened her arms to accentuate her point, but the action caused her to lose her balance. She nearly fell to the ground, but was caught by Jakob before she could land on the sand. "Th-thanks, Jakob."

The butler sighed. "What am I going to do with you, Felicia?"

Just as the pink-haired maid was helped up to her feet, a sudden crunching of snow caught Scarlet's attention. She, along with everyone else, turned to see Hinata walking in his armor and battle attire, carrying his sheathed katana in his left hand.

The samurai held himself with an air of authority and solemnity. Hinata appeared as serious as he was on the battlefield as he walked towards the offending piece of clothing donned on a straw practice dummy. Everyone was as silent as they would be at any other execution. The wind howled for a brief moment, as if trying to stop Hinata, before petering out. The scene was set, and everything waited for the samurai to make the next move as he stopped shortly before the tuxedo. It was all just so… so…

 _Gods damned ridiculous_ , Scarlet thought as she tried to hide her laughter.

It seemed many others were trying to do the same as they watched the 'execution' take place. Takumi just stood there, pinching the bridge of his nose in embarrassment of his retainer's actions. Hinata's wife, Oboro, was doing much the same thing, while his rival, Hana, watched the scene stoically. Meanwhile, Jakob eyed the scene with worry and a small bead of sweat upon his brow.

Scarlet heard snickering to her right and saw Corrin covering his mouth to stifle his laughter. At that point, the wyvern rider couldn't hold in her laughter any longer. She managed to limit it to a few giggles, but even then, she was beginning to lose her control.

Just as she reached the point where she couldn't contain her laughter in longer, Hinata assumed his battle-ready stance.

The samurai unsheathed his blade and pointed it directly at the tuxedo-wearing dummy. Then, with speed that could barely be recognized by the human eye, Hinata charged at his target and quickly swept his katana through it. With more showmanship than was necessary, the samurai sheathed his blade and began walking away, seemingly aimlessly. As he did so, the dummy – and thus the tuxedo – slowly fell into two pieces, bisected neatly across the abdomen.

Yet as it did so, Hinata didn't turn back to witness his nemesis' destruction; he just kept walking into the distance.

Hana stared after him, murmuring over how 'a great samurai never looks back' and such. Subaki could only chuckle at his wife's admiring as he began leading her back to the hotel.

Oboro shook her head and sighed, grumbling under her breath, "Where is that idiot going?" Then, she and Takumi took off after her husband.

Finally, Jakob fell to his knees, ashamed that he let such a fine tuxedo be reduced to a pile of useless thread. "It… it had so much to live for; it had many more formal events it could have attended before falling to tatters." Felicia, for her part, tried comforting the distressed butler, but to no avail.

Everyone else was laughing too hard as they began dispersing and beginning their days a little bit peppier than before. Corrin and Scarlet, still hand and hand, managed to walk away from the scene before turning to each other and bursting out in laughter.

"H-he took that so seriously!" Corrin remarked, wiping a tear of mirth from his eye.

"That was so ridiculous!" Scarlet agreed. "T-though, he did manage to make it look a little bit badass."

The prince was the first to recover. "Well, it was a good way to start the day."

"Definitely, but now what do we want to do?"

Corrin shrugged before offhandedly suggesting. "We could go find Hinoka and Sila. I haven't really had that chance to show you off, per se."

Scarlet smiled, wrapping her arm around Corrin's. "I think that's a great idea."

"W-what?" Corrin stuttered, surprised she was up for this. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, plus I wanna show off _my_ princeling. After all, you're my arm candy."

"'Arm candy'?" Corrin repeated. He raised an eyebrow and playfully replied, "Is that all I am to you?"

Scarlet nodded her head eagerly. "Of course! Why else do you think I asked you to be my beau?"

"Excuse me?" Corrin had a hint of mirth in his voice. "I am pretty sure I asked you to be my belle."

"Hm… we'll agree to disagree there, princeling," Scarlet retorted coyly.

Before she knew it, she was swept up in Corrin's arms. Immediately, the prince began tickling the wyvern rider's sides mercilessly, continuing his assault from earlier. "I'm not going to stop until you admit it was my idea," the prince explained with a hint of a chuckle in his voice.

Scarlet, still feeling the laughter from just moments ago, couldn't last long against Corrin's relentless onslaught. "F-fine! I give, I give!"

After she surrendered, the prince put her down, but didn't let go of her. Instead, he simply shifted his arms so that now she was in his embrace. Scarlet returned it after calming down.

She let loose a giggle or two more before hearing Corrin whisper, "So I asked you to be my belle, that's how the story will go."

"Alright, that's how the story will go," Scarlet replied before lifting her head from Corrin's chest to look at him. She gave him a quick kiss before adding in, "And for what it's worth, I'm glad you did."

* * *

 **A/N:**

" **Hinata and Suit attained support level F-!"**

 **I mean come on, when someone else cuts you into literal ribbons, wouldn't you be a little pissed off at them? Poor suit…**

 **Well, that's it for the first half of this fic, and the first end of the first main plot – which was getting bonehead Scarlet and clueless Corrin together. So now, gonna most likely calm down here a bit for one chapter before addressing all the sub plots, plot holes, and tying up the main plot into a nice little gift for y'all. Okay?**

 **And a massive thanks to TheRepeat, my amazing beta who has stuck with my stubborn – and forgetful – butt throughout the first part of this fic. Thank you, my friend, couldn't have done this without you, and I mean it!**

 **I hope you all have enjoyed** _ **How to Find Peace**_ **so far, because it has been one of my more enjoyable pieces to write. Drop a review, a favorite, or a follow! May be one of my favorite fics to write, but it is nice to see how I'm doing in y'all's eyes and gauge y'all's interest levels. So, thank you in advance!**

 **Peace,**

 **nickdaman6**


	13. Chapter 13

**Please read the A/N at the end. Thanks!**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: What Comes Next?**

Corrin sat in front of the fire of his little – yet grandiose – hotel suite, reading by himself in one of the few times he found he was alone in past months. Usually, he would be busy checking off the list of places he wished to visit when he was younger with Silas. Other times, he would be with either Hinoka or Sakura, enjoying the company of his siblings. And still other times he would be playing cards with his friends; those nights had become so popular, that Jakob and Takumi even found themselves joining in from time to time – Jakob had a straight poker face that never ceased to amaze the others, while Takumi still had trouble figuring out which way to hold the cards. Most times, however, Corrin would simply enjoy the city of Cyrkensia with Scarlet.

A gentle, content sigh fell from the half-dragonkin's lips at the thought of the blonde wyvern rider. It had been close to three months since he had met the famed leader of the Cheve Rebellion. During the first portion of that time, the young prince and the crimson-clad knight fought and bickered. But gradually, they became friends and eventually much more, something Corrin hadn't suspected would happen in the slightest. Though it did come as a surprise, he couldn't have felt any happier. His feelings for her were growing, and – just as he had asked her before their first kiss – the young prince started discovering what those feelings were.

Of course, still figuring out their whole relationship, Corrin had yet to speak what he felt. The words to do so were stuck in his throat. It didn't matter if he was alone or with Scarlet, he just couldn't find the courage to describe his feelings for the wyvern rider. It was a conundrum that he found he would have to solve sooner or later. Corrin still wished to speak to someone about it, yet the advice he had been given was as helpful as a pegasus when flanking a unit of archers: near useless and unnecessarily dangerous.

Subaki, who Corrin approached first since he was well-versed in everything under the sun, explained that he just needed to come forth with his feelings, but first find a way to explain them to himself. Yet there lay the difficulty of such a strategy: Corrin had to come to terms with his emotions first. Otherwise, it was a straightforward, bold idea that would most likely bare productive fruit. It was something for the young prince to think on, but only when he was ready. So, he continued his search.

Jakob only referred to the so-called "proper rules of courting in Nohr" that all nobles followed. The butler even produced a copy of a book on said rules from seemingly out of nowhere. The bluntness and aggressiveness that Jakob pressured Corrin into reading the rules over again only prompted the young prince to back away slowly.

Corrin thought on two questions after making his daring escape from Jakob: would he ever find the words to make his confession to Scarlet, and where had his butler been hiding that book? Not wanting to think on the latter question for too long, the young prince continued in his search for an answer to the former.

Corrin found very little help elsewhere.

Silas instructed Corrin on the correct ways a knight courted a lady, much in the way Jakob had in terms of Nohrian royalty.

While Hinoka gave an unsatisfying answer, just commenting that "it happens." Out of everyone in the Hoshidan army, Corrin had hoped those two would be able to provide clues to help him.

Hana couldn't give a straight answer on the subject either, instead going around in circles about how "once someone can get past another's flaws, everything works out." Hinata and Oboro were even less help, with the former beginning to speak before his wife pulled him away by his ear. She didn't even need to hear Hinata's first word before she knew that he was about to say something vexing or distasteful. Corrin couldn't help but laugh at the display.

Everyone else in the Hoshidan army had provided even more unclear or unobtainable answers. The only ones he hadn't asked about the subject that were currently at the hotel were Kaze and Sakura. For reasons that Corrin was very aware of – and in order to protect the pure image of his sister and his fondness for Kaze – he chose to forgo asking either of them anything on the subject of love.

Corrin was left to ponder his feelings for the time being, realizing that there was very little anyone could do to help. His thoughts haunted him even when he was alone trying to enjoy a book on the tales of the mythical Shepherds of Ylisse. He hadn't even been paying attention to the current passage he was reading (which incidentally recounted the uncommon, unorthodox love between the Grand Tactician and Pink-Haired Dancer), instead turning his attention to the issue at hand. As his thoughts started to give him a headache, the prince heard a round of knocks on his door, knocking him out of his troublesome reverie.

Opening the door seconds later, Corrin was surprised to be greeted by his older brother, Ryoma, standing in the doorway.

"Corrin, it is good to see you again!" the High Prince of Hoshido led with a smile.

The older sibling grasped his brother's arm securely in greeting.

"Ryoma! I wasn't expecting you back from your honeymoon so soon," Corrin admitted, a little taken aback by the sudden appearance of his eldest brother.

"It has been a month, but time does seem to fly by here. Would have been back sooner, but Azura and I had some… business to attend to." A fondness overtook Ryoma's features, a look that Corrin had yet to see. What caused this, the young prince didn't know.

"'Business'?"

His brother's face quickly changed, erasing any signs of longing affection for an unknown reason. "We shall speak of it later, brother. Promise. I've actually come here to ask if you'd join me and some of the others in a training session. Do some physical training, weapon sets… a round of sparring, or two. Figured it would be a good way to catch up after all this time."

At the mention of a training session, any questions concerning Ryoma's affairs were pushed to the back of Corrin's thoughts. "It has been a while, hasn't it? Haven't had a serious bout of training in a month, so could use a challenge. Think you can provide that?" the dragon-prince taunted lightheartedly. "Or has the married life made you soft?"

Ryoma couldn't help but smirk determinedly. "I'll have you know I trained every other day while away, where as you seem to be enjoying your time off too much."

"We'll be even then?"

The high prince guffawed. "As even as a grasshopper to a praying mantis, brother. Come, I am eager for the challenge."

With that, Corrin dressed in his training attire and walked down the halls of the hotel with his brother to the impromptu training grounds set up on the resort's beach.

"And what's this I hear about you and Scarlet?" Ryoma questioned as they strode towards their destination.

This caused Corrin to miss a step and almost trip over himself. Before he could even ask where he heard this from already, an answer came to his mind. There was only one person in the entirety of the Hoshidan army who had such a big mouth.

"Hinata…?"

Ryoma chuckled. "Yes, he immediately told me about the happenings here as soon as I went to recruit him for our training session. Guess I am as good a matchmaker as I am a warrior."

"I wouldn't say that. You basically threw us into a dance at your wedding," Corrin remarked with a cheeky grin.

The pair stopped in the hotel lobby just before the doorways leading to the beach. Ryoma clasped his hand on his brother's shoulder.

"Ah, but the stone rolled downhill from there. You are welcome, brother. And for what it's worth, I am happy you have found a woman who returns your feelings."

A genuine smile stretched across Corrin's face. "Thank you, Ryoma. And for what _it's_ worth, I'll admit you had a hand in it."

"Modest as always, Corrin. Do not forget that."

Ryoma released his brother, prompting the pair to walk onto the beach. Once there, the princes noticed a familiar silver-haired knight already hard at work with his practice sword. Another thought came to the high prince's mind as they watched the Nohrian for a moment longer. "Something else Hinata informed me of was Silas and Hinoka, and their… involvement with each other."

Corrin's eyes widened, as he shifted his glance from Ryoma and Silas – who noticed the pair – and back again. For a moment, the knight watched them in confusion before the pieces suddenly clicked together. Then, fear overcame his features. Just as it did, Ryoma, dressed in his own training gear and armed with a practice katana, strode towards the Nohrian knight with a serious expression on his face.

The young prince could only watch as his brother readied to judge his sister's courter. A thought flitted through Corrin's head to go find Sakura, just in case. But it was quickly dashed away, when the prince realized there was no time. That was when another thought followed.

 _Gods damn you, Hinata._

* * *

"…and then you dodge to the right!"

An elongated practice spear thrusted forward, hoping to strike at the wing of its target – which happened to be a jet-black wyvern hovering just above the snowy ground. The weapon met nothing but air, however, as the inexperienced rider and her mount clumsily shifted to their right. Having been tugged so roughly, the beast almost bucked his rider. Holding on tightly to her reins, Hinoka was able to steady herself and reign her wyvern in, calming him down enough to regain control.

"Hey! Don't throw me off, you overgrown lizard!" Hinoka ordered roughly. At the sound of her aggravated voice, the flying beast seemed to hesitantly obey.

"There we go, Hinoka," the princess' sparring partner, Scarlet, cheered. "Held on, dodged, and took back control from your wyvern. Not bad! Keep it up, they respond to aggression better, let's 'em know who's in charge. Ain't that right, Crimson?"

The wyvern rider's mount chimed happily, mood matching her tamer. Scarlet smiled at the sound.

"Otherwise, getting the hang of it, Hinoka?"

The pegasus rider landed her mount unsteadily, jumping down and falling to her rear. As Scarlet and Crimson followed suit, Hinoka stood from her position and rubbed her butt.

"They're a lot rougher to ride. Nowhere near as comfortable or smooth as a pegasus," Hinoka complained. "Ow, I think I bruised something…"

Scarlet laughed and rubbed her wyvern's chin, earning a soft coo from the mount. "I remember my first few times riding Crimson here. Bucked me off the first couple, gave me a broken tail bone after." All the wyvern rider could do was smile bashfully and continue stroking the underside of Crimson's neck. "Come's with the territory."

"Then I may keep to pegasi, even if they bite more."

Chuckling lightheartedly, the two women led their mounts to the Central Fortress Roost while continuing their conversation.

"And in that case, I'll stick to wyverns. Gatsuchi and the others keep taking snaps at my hands. They think they're carrots or something?" Scarlet asked incredulously while staring at her hands, eyeing the fingers she almost lost to the near-carnivorous animals.

"Something like that. But I think it's for the best, after all we flyers should stick with what we know."

"Agreed."

A silence fell between the pair as they mounted their wyverns one more time to ascend to the roost. Once there, the quiet continued as Scarlet tended to Crimson and Hinoka quickly cared for her wyvern before moving to Gatsuchi. While grooming their winged mounts, Scarlet and Hinoka retreated to their thoughts, unknowingly focusing on the same topic warring in their minds.

Both women would be lying if either of them said they truly wished to forgo flying on different mounts forever. After all, it was what brought the pair together and created a friendship that neither truly knew throughout their lives. So, when Scarlet spoke again, she did so with a hint of disappointment, and almost pleadingly backpedaled from her previous statement.

"Ya know, it wouldn't be so bad if we rode pegasi again," the wyvern rider admitted, turning away from tending to Crimson, seeing Hinoka do the same with Gatsuchi. "They are smoother on the rear than wyverns, after all."

An agitated nudge from Crimson caused the blonde to turn her attention towards her mount.

"Hey I can't help it that feathers are softer than scales!" Scarlet exclaimed before spinning back around to Hinoka and mumbling, "Overly sensitive flying lizard…"

The warrior-princess couldn't help but chuckle. "They are more comfortable, but it'd be nice to learn how to tame wyverns, too. Maybe I could apply those tricks to Gatsuchi."

At this, Scarlet couldn't help but beam. "Great! Then whenever ya want to take a ride, I'm your gal. And we can ride pegasi or wyverns, I ain't that picky. Just go slow if we decide on the former."

"Deal!" Hinoka concurred.

They shook hands to seal their agreement before concluding their business with their respective mounts. Not much later, they descended the roost's vast stairwell. Having made the trip numerous times before, the airborne riders trekked it with ease. Unlike some duo of grounded, male warriors that they knew. Once the topic came to mind, Scarlet decided to press forward on how Hinoka and Silas were doing. At the mention of the princess' silver-haired knight, the mood suddenly shifted again. It almost seemed… uneasy.

"It's going… not bad?" Hinoka guessed, trying to describe her and Silas' relationship in a few choice words.

Scarlet raised her eyebrow, confused by her what her friend was saying. "What's that even supposed to mean?"

The warrior-princess cringed, even though she knew full well that Scarlet would pursue this line of dialogue. "Don't get me wrong, as a couple, it's been great. He's charming, and handsome." A wistful smile spread across Hinoka's face. "Courteous, a true gentleman, able to handle himself in a fight, loves my siblings like they're his own. He truly is a great man…"

"…but?"

It was an empty, leading question posed by Scarlet that wiped away Hinoka's smile.

"But the courting is… not as great. He's been pressing forward with the idea of family and marriage and I just know that a proposal is right around the corner, even if it's only been a couple months since he officially started courting me."

"And what's wrong with that?"

Obviously, from what Hinoka had said, this was a problem, a seemingly huge one in her mind. Yet the wyvern rider couldn't see what the true issue was. If Silas was such a great man, then why would the warrior-princess have second thoughts about it all? Eyes widening at the thought of a 'warrior-princess' and her ideals, the wyvern rider knew she had her answer.

"You're scared you'll lose your independence, aren't you?"

Hinoka nodded slowly, frustrating red highlighting her cheeks and indecision shining in her eyes. "Yeah. After all, Silas wants a family. That means I'd have to give him a child and then I couldn't fight while I'm pregnant, or after since I'd need to become a housewife to care for it. But Silas is an amazing man, and I don't know if I can give him what he wants, and I just… I just…!"

Scarlet stopped Hinoka mid-sentence by pulling the distraught princess into a warm embrace. Everything came spilling out in a tumble of words and small tears as the warrior-princess' frustration finally hit its peak. Apparently, she had been internally struggling with this for quite some time, if Hinoka's current state indicated anything.

"It's okay, Hinoka. I understand," Scarlet cooed softly, hoping to calm her friend.

After a few more sniffles, the wyvern rider's uncharacteristically soft words seemed to have the desired effect. Her episode finished, Hinoka pulled away, a grin graced her features once more.

"Thanks, Scarlet. I think I needed that."

The wyvern rider's smile reached her ears. "Anytime! Now, as for Silas, just talk to him. And I know neither of you are good at speaking whatcha feel, but it'll help. Promise."

Reluctantly, Hinoka nodded.

"'Sides, I know for a fact Silas only wants your happiness. As long as he can give you that, then he won't ask for anymore. Even if that means not having a family in his immediate future."

"You're… right. I'll talk to him about it when I can," Hinoka decided, determination set in her eyes.

"That'a gal!"

The pair of flyers laughed and joked as they made their way into the city, wondering what they would do with what time they had left in the day. Not long passed in their stroll before Orochi came up to them, dragging Takumi behind her. Hinoka and Scarlet giggled at the sight, seeing the archer's perpetual scowl permeating his features with a hint of fondness to it.

"There you are, Hinoka!" Orochi exclaimed as she came up to the pair, hand still gripping onto Takumi's arm affectionately – and possessively. "And hey, Scarlet!"

Awkwardly smiling, the wyvern rider waved in response. Scarlet never really bought in to magic or divining, thus having a near superstitious outlook on it. For that reason, she never really knew how to interact with Orochi or any other diviners amongst the Hoshidans. So, she kept her responses short and to the point, while still acting as friendly as possible.

"What are you guys doing here?" Hinoka asked lightheartedly. As on offhanded comment, the princess added, "Hi, Takumi."

In response, the youngest prince nodded stiffly.

Ignoring their interaction, Orochi answered the pegasus rider's previous question. "Looking for you, actually. Azura and Ryoma just returned from their honey moon, and thought you'd like to know. Plus, we're throwing them a little welcome back party at the hotel since there's really not much else to do. Takumi's even bored of challenging the archers here."

The diviner giggled and nudged her archer.

"A true master can only challenge novices so many times before it just becomes routine," Takumi boasted, taking the chance that was so rarely afforded to him. "These Cyrkensians are gonna have to step up their game if they want to defend the city."

"Alright, alright, 'Master Marksman' we get it: you have an ego that's more fluffed than your hair," Hinoka shot back, earning a snick from Orochi and Scarlet.

"Watch it, sister, arrows are particularly nasty to pegasi," the prince threatened playfully.

"And that's why Gatsuchi bites you regularly. Now what's this about a party?"

Before the archer could even force his response into the conversation, Orochi jumped on the question, cutting her courter off. "It's just a gathering of all the officers at the hotel, both of you should come with us. We're heading back right now! There's going to be food and drinks, probably a drunken antic or two by Hinata or Takumi."

All the prince could do was huff in retort as the pair continued their conversation. "Well, Scarlet and I just finished training, so why not. We were wondering what we were gonna do the rest of the day, anyway."

"Great! Now let's get going, once the rest of the guys are done with their training, the party will start," Orochi exclaimed, turning around and running energetically in the direction of the hotel with Takumi being forcibly dragged along.

Hinoka and Scarlet snickered.

"You don't think we're that pushy, do you?" the warrior-princess asked.

Scarlet waved off the question, and replied, "Nah, 'course not. We're just the right amount of pushy with our beaus."

Laughing the two riders walked after the rushing pair, amicably talking as they did so.

* * *

Corrin sneezed suddenly out of the blue, causing Ryoma to pause mid-sentence.

"Not getting a cold are we, Corrin?" the high prince questioned with a smirk.

"No, just someone talking about me," Corrin surmised superstitiously. "Anyway, what were you saying, brother?"

The high prince chuckled. "I was referring to Silas. He seems like a suitable man for our sister, if his combat skills have anything to say about it. After all, he did switch to a spear as soon as we engaged. A smart tactic on his part."

Ryoma nodded in the direction of the aforementioned knight who was sitting on a piece of washed up driftwood, catching his breath. Watching the poor man, everything about him screamed exhausted after his impromptu sparring session with the High Prince of Hoshido.

"During my interrogation out there, his intentions seem just as strong and equally pure," the high prince commented. "With your backing, Corrin, I believe I can grant him my blessing for Hinoka's hand."

Internally, the young prince cheered, but externally, he grinned, conveying only a portion of his emotion. "Glad you think so, Ryoma. He's already like a brother to me by choice, now it'll be by bond."

"Yes, a new member of the Hoshidan royalty, and a Nohrian none the less. The courts will explode when they hear the news." Ryoma guffawed, thinking of the reactions of Takumi, Yukimura, and the other nobles of Hoshido at a possible marriage between members of the two rival kingdoms. "It truly will be interesting. Yet, Silas has proven himself loyal to you and our cause. So, I trust him. However, he has one more challenge to overcome…"

"And that is?" Corrin questioned curiously, unsure what else his childhood friend had to prove.

However, Ryoma waved it off, deciding to let time explain the last obstacle rather than him. "You shall see in the near future, Corrin. Trust me."

"Okay…?" the half-dragon prince answered unassuredly.

Feeling the break in their conversation, the two brothers watched as Silas had regained his energy and now challenged Hinata to a duel. The samurai gladly excepted, boasting and eagerly anticipating his victory. Yet, as he did most times, he spoke too soon.

The Nohrian knight wore a serious expression. Even from a distance, Corrin and Ryoma could see the fire in his eyes. This duel would be Silas' vengeance against Hinata's big mouth. Everything that the knight had to pay for when dueling the high prince, he would repay twofold to Hinata. All of this could be seen in his actions and the way he held himself. His practice spear pointed dangerously towards the samurai, ready to strike as soon as his opponent was ready.

Flashing his trademark grin, Hinata nodded, only to receive a striking blow to his mid-section not a second later. The samurai doubled over, wind knocked out of him. Silas smirked, before retracting his spear and allowing his opponent a moment to breathe. But only a moment.

With the finesse expected of a master spearman, Silas twirled his weapon before bringing it down hard on Hinata's back. The samurai's body dug into the ground face first, creating a very shallow grave around the defeated Hoshidan. The Nohrian knight made a sound of triumph before returning to his spot and maintaining his practical weapons. Those on the beach watched the brief duel before returning to their own training; none went to help Hinata as everyone knew he deserved the beating he received, with a few going so far as snickering, including Corrin.

"In the meantime, there is something else I wish to speak to you about."

Ryoma received his younger brother's attention once again.

"I wanted you to be the first to know, outside of Azura and I." The high prince's tone seemed to tense up and become nervous all at once.

While his body was rigid, his face flitted between concern and happiness in a matter of seconds. Soon, Ryoma decided on an unsettled chuckle. "We're having a child, Corrin. We found out just last night."

A shock of electricity sped down Corrin's spine, causing his entire being – most noticeably his face – to go slack (offhandedly, the young prince wondered if it was his brother shocking him with the static stored up in his body from his sword). Emotions flew in high-wired directions throughout his brain. It was a sudden revelation, of course, but Corrin knew why his mind was a flurry of feelings.

Yet in the middle of his reeling, the prince's mind jumped to Scarlet. In that instance, he imagined himself in the same scenario in the future: married, a child, a happy family in a peaceful world. At that moment, all rapid firing emotions seemed to halt, settling on a brief, peaceful picture. In his mind, with Scarlet, in a future that he hoped would exist, Corrin found his own peace. For months, the young prince pondered why he fought for an end to this war, and now he knew. What he saw, what he strived for, was how to find his own peace amidst the world. Now, he knew, he may have found it.

Once Corrin returned to the present, his quiet reverie finished, most of what he felt seemed to vanish. Everything was replaced by joy now: joy for the future, and joy for his oldest brother, who was about to have a child.

The prince smiled.

"That's amazing, Ryoma. I'm happy for you two," Corrin congratulated, grasping his brother's shoulder.

Even then, the young prince felt the high prince shaking. Nerves coursed through his body, but giddy laughter still permeated his lips.

"Thanks, Corrin. It's…" Ryoma ran a hand through his hair "it's a blessing, but with this war, I don't know if I can be a father, just yet." The admission came from hours of thinking on what to do now that Azura was pregnant. When it came down to it, the high prince was unsure how to keep his wife and child protected in this currently violent world.

In response, Corrin patted his back, regaining his brother's attention. "Don't worry about that right now, brother. Instead, focus on the fact that you're about to have a family. That will keep you tethered down, the rest will fall into place. Trust me, if anyone can find a way to protect those they love, it's you."

Ryoma remained silent, pondering his brother's wise words. After thinking on them, the high prince softly smiled. "You're right. After all is said and done, we will know what to do, perhaps before that even. Thank you."

"Of course, Ryoma."

The high prince chuckled. "How did you become so wise in the few weeks I was gone?"

Just as Corrin was about to answer, Hinoka, Scarlet, and Sakura came over to the training ground, receiving their attention. The young prince watched as his wyvern rider walked towards them with his sisters. All else was blocked out as his focus was intently on the blonde Nohrian. Suddenly, everything the pair had been through, from arguing atop the claimed ramparts to their exchange at the tailor's to their first brief kiss, flashed through Corrin's mind. Once again, an unnamed future made its way to the half-dragonkin's thoughts. His smile grew.

Watching the trio approach the training grounds, Corrin responded to his brother with his obscure answer.

"I had a lot of help."

* * *

 **A/N:**

" **Hinoka and Scarlet attained support level A!"**

 **Ah, it's nice to see the characters who have no other supports** _ **but**_ **the MC in FE to branch out. Makes for a great creative burst while still making it feel like it belonged in the game. A challenge that's always fun!**

 **Well, if you guys read** _ **Memories from Another Time**_ **or** _ **More than One Hero can Mend**_ **, y'all knew I'd be updating this one sooner or later. More like later, but who's counting the days?**

 _ **FFN and Readers**_ **: "It's been since July!"**

 **Like I said, who's counting?**

 **Happy to get back in the roll of things guys! It feels good to finally let loose my creative outlet after it being cooped up all snowboarding season. So, to answer all y'all's questions, yes I will be continuing this and many other fics, yes I am back for the time being, and yes I will update my profile for those of you who care. After all, new fav animes and games need to be added!**

 **Thanks to everyone who's stuck with me through this hiatus, glad to have each and every one of y'all back in my lives, makes my writing feel appreciated.**

 **Another thanks to my beta, TheRepeat, who was unable to help with this chapter, but I can't wait to continue working with in the future. Your feedback and work have helped me in so many ways, and I hope to hear from ya soon, my man!**

 **Reviews are appreciatively reviewed, favorites are honorably favored, and follows are as follows: enjoyable to see the notification.**

 **Peace,**

 **nickdaman6**


End file.
